Born on May 5 1945, Issy-les-Moulineaux (92).
Education and professional career
- 1964-1968 : Student at the École normale supérieure
- 1968-1970 : Assistant at the Sorbonne
- 1970-1972 : Assistant at the University of Tunis (national cooperation service)
- 1972-1976 : Assistant then Senior Assistant at the University of Paris-IV Sorbonne
- 1976-1987 : Professor at the University of Toulouse-Le Mirail
- 1987-1994 : Professor at the University of Paris-IV Sorbonne
- 1995-2016 : Professor at the Collège de France, holding the Littératures de la France médiévale chair
- 2000 : Member of the Institut (Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres)
- 2012 : Permanent Secretary of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres
Main current responsibilities
- 2000-2003, 2003-2006, 2006-2009, 2009-2012 : Vice-President of the Assembly of Professors of the Collège de France
- 2004-2005 : Chairman of the Board of Directors of the École normale supérieure
- 2004-2007 : Delegate of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres to the International Academic Union
- 2004-2009 : Member of the European Center for Doctoral Studies at the University Federico II of Naples
- 2005-2009 : Member of the International Advisory Board, Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University
- Vice-Chairman of the Sauvegarde des lectures littéraires association
- Member of the Supervisory Board, Presses universitaires de France
- Member of the Scientific Council of the Royaumont Center for Medieval Music
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board, Institut collégial européen
- Director of the Société des amis de la Romania, co-director of the review Romania
- Member of the scientific committee of Cahiers de Civilisation Médiévale
- Director of the " Lettres gothiques " collection, Livre de Poche (Hachette)
- Co-editor of the classic " Livre de Poche
- Co-director of the " Perspectives littéraires " collection, Presses universitaires de France
- Member of the editorial board of Commentaire
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Bibliographie des écrivains français
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Translatio
- Member of the Heresis reading committee
- Member of the editorial board of Figurae: Reading Medieval Culture (Stanford)
- Member of the Honorary Committee of Revue des Langues Romanes
- General Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Fondation Singer Polignac
- Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, Fondation Hugot, Collège de France
- Member of the Scientific Council of the École des Chartes
- Co-director of the Revue critique de Philologie romane
- Chairman of the Honorary Committee of the Société des amis d'Henri Pourat
