Dr. Tim Forest, UCBA Assistant Professor of History specializing in French and British history, is currently researching in Alsace, France, as a Fulbright Faculty Research Scholar.
Alsace is in northeastern France and has been a contested battleground several times in recent history due to the mix of both German and French cultures. Dr. Forest is doing archival work on the history of Alsace and its conflicts and settler relocation efforts.
His trip isn’t confined to Alsace, however; Paris, Bern, Switzerland, and the Aix-en region of southern France are all on the list of places he will be doing research.
Dr. Forest is being hosted by the Universite d’Haute Alsace and is thankful for the help his colleagues there have given him, providing him with meetings and introductions to historians and archivists.
He says that France is much bigger on personal contacts and face-to-face meetings than the U.S is. Aside from some similarities between America and France that Dr. Forest points to, such as both countries having proud democracies and huge influence around the world, he says that “The actual France is much different than many Americans think it is.”
One difference is that “When greeting people, generally French people kiss on the cheek,” and another is that “The way the French eat and drink is much more formal and a lot longer than the traditional American dinner. Expect one to last hours, with many great courses, great conversation, and of course wine.”
The Fulbright Dr. Forest applied for is just one of many; he notes that there are fellow researchers there ranging from college juniors and graduate students to professors. He encourages people to look into applying for a Fulbright, and would be happy to talk to anyone interested in applying.
“I think it is very important to understand the world to get a different perspective on it from being in another culture or even speaking with someone from a different culture or learning a different language.”
Tuesday, June 24, 2025