Geographer and diplomat, Dr Michel Foucher served as the French Ambassador to Latvia (2002-2006), advisor to the French Foreign Minister (1997-2002), head of the Policy Planning Staff (1999-2002) and special envoy to the Balkans and the Caucasus (1999). He was then Ambassador at Large for European Issues (2007).
He has been professor of university since 1989 and was appointed at the École normale supérieure (elite higher education institution, graduate school) in 2007 as professor of applied geopolitics.
He joined the Institute of Higher National Defence Studies in February 2010.
His initial research regarding boarder geopolitics was conducted in 1984-86 at the French Defence Studies Foundation (with General Lucien Poirier). Consultant for the DAS (Strategic Affairs Directorate) and the SGDN (General Secretariat for National Defence), he has conducted numerous field missions for crisis zones.
He is also a member of the Robert Schuman Foundation scientific council (since 2006) and co-director for the annual report of the state of the union (published by Lignes de Repères, since 2007).
He is an expert in the African Unions boarders program under the auspices of the Commission of the African Unions Peace and Conflict Prevention division (Addis Ababa).
Michel Foucher is a commander in the Order of the Three Stars (Latvia).
Among his recent books:
La bataille des cartes, analyse critique des visions du monde, François Bourin Editeur, 1st edition 2010, 2nd 2011 (French and English versions);
Lobsession des frontières, Perrin 2007 (2nd edition 20111);
LEurope et lavenir du monde, Odile Jacob 2009;
LEurope entre géopolitiques et géographies, Armand Colin 2009;
France, America and the World, A New Era in Franco-American Relations, with Dan Hamilton, Brookings Publishing House, Washington, 2009.
He is co-editor of the Schuman Report on the State of the European Union (5th edition in 2011 at Lignes de repères and 2nd edition in English with Springer, Berlin).