Jean-Michel Sourd’s academic trajectory is marked by interdisciplinary breadth and international engagement. He initially pursued studies in Art History and Archaeology at the University of Rennes 2 - Haute Bretagne, earning a *Diplôme Universitaire Général* (DEUG) in Art History and Literature. He subsequently completed a Bachelor’s degree in Art History and Archaeology with a focus on prehistoric studies (Europe, Africa, Asia) at Sorbonne University, under the guidance of Yvette Taborin, Nicole Pigeot, and José Garanger. His training included coursework in palethnography and an introduction to ethnology with Michel Panoff and Pierre Lemonnier.
His interest in the intersection of linguistics and archaeology emerged during his Master’s seminars (M1) in Art History and Archaeology at Sorbonne University, led by Alain Schnapp, Jean-Paul Demoule, and Anick Coudart. The intellectual influence of Cambridge visiting professor Colin Renfrew—whose seminal work *Archaeology and Language* (1987) coincided with this period—further shaped his研究方向. Under Schnapp’s mentorship, he explored the historiography and politics of archaeology while drafting a 160-page Master’s thesis (with 54 plates) titled *The Spheroidal Ram in the Rock Art of the Saharan Atlas*, supervised by Roger de Bayle des Hermens (CNRS Research Fellow, Institute of Human Paleontology). The thesis received critical input from prehistorian Henri Lhote, Egyptologists Jean Leclant and Jean Yoyotte (Collège de France), geologist François Soleilhavoup, and Ginette Aumassip, a leading figure in African prehistory. Contributions from Algerian Saharan prehistorian Rachida Hachid (CNEH, Algiers) were also integral.
A pivotal reorientation occurred through his encounter with Jean Rouch—ethnographic filmmaker, President of the French Cinémathèque, and CNRS Research Director—who facilitated his enrollment in the Audiovisual Laboratory of the Fifth Section of Religious Sciences at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE). There, he collaborated with Germaine Dieterlen (Dogon ethnologist), filmmaker-ethnologist Annie Comolli, Hélène Puiseux (Roland Barthes’ disciple), and attended seminars at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) led by Annie Goldmann (spouse of philosopher Lucien Goldmann), historian Marc Ferro, and Africanist anthropologist Georges Balandier. Concurrently, he engaged with Yves Coppens’ lectures at the Collège de France and Jean Douchet’s film studies at the Cinémathèque Française, while regularly attending Rouch’s Saturday sessions, where he interacted with filmmakers Costa-Gavras and Francesco Rosi.
In 1986, at the Palethnology Convention in Florence, he met Théodore Monod, whose informal teachings later resonated in the interview collections of Jean-Philippe de Tonnac (a connection solidified three decades later via correspondence on sacrality and bread in Athonite tradition).
A collaboration with archaeologist Effi Kazantzaki prompted his relocation to Thessaloniki (1987–1991), where he engaged with Byzantine theology scholars Haralambidis (expert on neo-martyrs) and Georgios Mantzaridis (Orthodox ethics). With support from Prof. Xavier Barral i Altet (University of Rennes 2), for whom he had coordinated the 1983 International Symposium *Artists, Artisans, and Artistic Production in the Middle Ages*, he pursued a Master’s Degree (M2) in Byzantine and post-Byzantine Art History at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His thesis, *The Representation of Founders/Donors in 16th-Century Frescoes of Monastic Churches on Mount Athos*, earned highest honors.
Advised to pivot doctoral research from Claude Lepage (due to topic overlap), he proposed a Sino-Byzantine comparative study after serendipitous discussions with Hong Kong scholars. Relocating to Hong Kong in October 1992 under a Greek Ministry of Culture scholarship, he later secured a role as FLE (French as a Foreign Language) Expert at East China University, Shanghai. There, he collaborated with the French Attaché to develop cultural segments for *Radio Shanghai*, producing 60+ “Cultural Minutes” broadcast to 100 million listeners.
After a one-year contract, he joined Hong Kong’s Diocesan Boys’ School as Head of French (1992–2022), revolutionizing FLE pedagogy for a multicultural student body (Chinese, Hong Kong [pre-1997], Filipino, Indonesian, Indian, Japanese, and others). To formalize his expertise, he earned an FLE Master’s at Université Grenoble Alpes under the then-president of FIPF (Fédération Internationale des Professeurs de Français), followed by a DEA (M2) at Université de Rouen. His thesis, *The Image of France in Hong Kong: Brand Culture or Cultural Brand?* (supervised by the late Prof. Bernard Gardin), received distinction.
Parallel to his career, sustained visits to Mount Athos (the monastic republic founded in 963 CE) inspired a comparative literature doctorate project under Prof. François Moureau (Sorbonne Université). His 200-page draft, *Initiation Through Travel: Francophone Narratives of Mount Athos from the Renaissance to the 21st Century*, remained incomplete due to the declining health and subsequent passing of his brother (2017) and father (2019).
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This translation adheres to academic conventions, including formal register, disciplinary specificity, and standardized institutional nomenclature. Key terms and titles are preserved in italics, with contextual clarifications where necessary.
