French historian and sociologist
Éric Monnin (born February 21, 1968, in Besançon (Doubs)) is a French sports historian and sociologist, specializing in the International Olympic Movement. He holds a senior secondary school teaching degree in Physical Education and Sports. He graduated with a PhD in sociology and is a lecturer accredited to conduct research at the University of Franche-Comté. He is a member of the Culture, Sport, Health, Society (C3S) laboratory at the University of Franche-Comté.
Biography.
Professional background.
Éric Monnin first taught at the Combelles secondary school in the Haute-Saône department (Besançon academy), at the Georges Politzer secondary school in Seine-et-Marne (Créteil academy), and then at the Sévenans Polytechnic Institute (Ipsé), which became the Belfort-Montbéliard University of Technology (UTBM) in 1999. After completing his PhD entitled ‘L'olympisme: pratiques et représentations en milieu scolaire’ (‘Olympism: practices and representations in the school environment’) directed by Professor Alain Bihr, he was recruited as a lecturer at the University of Franche-Comté. He has also been participating in the teaching of the second year of the professional master's degree and the University Diploma in Sports Law at the Continued Education Center Panthéon - Sorbonne at the University of Paris 1.
In parallel to his university studies, he followed the teachings of Dr. Alfonso Caycedo and Dr. Natalia Caycedo in Andorra and obtained the specialized master's degree in Caycedan sophrology in 2005.
His subject of study, Olympism, has led him on several occasions to organize "Olympic Weeks" in schools and universities, and to follow the preparations for the Olympic Games, particularly in Australia, Greece, China and South Korea. He participated as a speaker in 2010 in Beijing, in the work of the World Union of Olympic Cities (WUOC). He is a regular speaker at the International Olympic Academy (IOA) located in Greece.
In 2012, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded him the Pierre de Coubertin medal. It was awarded in August 2013, in Lausanne, by IOC President Jacques Rogge. He was the first Frenchman to hold this prestigious medal, which rewards all of his work for youth (Olympic weeks, participation in the youth camp at the Olympic Games in Australia and Greece). His research has also been carried out within the Pierre de Coubertin International Committee, of which he is a member along with professors Müller and Schantz.
In 2014, he received the Certificate of Accreditation in the Citizen Reserve at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He also participated in the Opportunity Study on an Olympic and Paralympic bid for Paris 2024 and then in the work of the Paris 2024 bid.
From 2015 to 2017, the regional prefect appointed him as a qualified personality to the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESER) of the Burgundy Franche-Comté region and he sat on two commissions: "Finance/Europe and Mobility/Energy", but he was not reappointed. He also participated in the "Interregional Dynamics" working group and in the work of the CESERs of France on the assessment of regional public policies. The same year, he joined the scientific committee of the "Sports and Citizenship" think tank.
In 2015, he participated as a scientific/historical advisor in the 52' documentary, directed by Véronique Lhorme, entitled "Jesse Owens - Ludwig Long: le temps d'une étreinte or Jesse Owens - Ludwig Long : the time of an embrace". This film traces the story of friendship between the African-American sprinter Jesse Owens and the German athlete Luz Long, during the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936.
In 2019, after having been an associate auditor at the Higher Institute for National Defense Studies (IHEDN) in Franche-Comté since 2013, he became an auditor following the 218th session of the IHEDN organized in the Bourgogne Franche-Comté region.
On June 29, 2021, he was elected administrator of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) as a qualified personality.
In 2022, he has been appointed for 5 years as a representative of the CNOSF in the new college "Terminology and French language in the framework of the preparation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games of Paris 2024" set up by the Minister in charge of Sports, Mrs. Roxana Maracineanu.
For the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo, he was invited to carry the Olympic torch on Greek soil.
To mark the Beijing Winter Olympics, he published a new book entitled "From Chamonix to Beijing. One century of Olympism in winter" published by Désiris. This work has a foreword written by the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach.
Center for Olympic Studies and Research (CEROU).
In September 2017, the city of Paris became the host city for the future Games of the XXX Olympiad in Paris in 2024. Éric Monnin suggested to the presidency of the University of Franche-Comté a new innovative research axis, through a new theme, that of Olympism.
This Olympic concept totally met the requests of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation with the main objective of linking the practice of sports to an educational, cultural or citizen ambition around Olympism and its values.
On February 4, 2019, on the occasion of the launch of the Olympic and Paralympic Week (SOP), the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and the Ministry of Sports, under its impetus, awarded the label "Generation 2024" to the University of Franche-Comté.
It officially initiates the CEROU project launched on September 20, 2019. The Minister of Sports Roxana Maracieanu brought her high patronage to the official launch.
CEROU is unique in France. It aims to increase the attractiveness (Generation 2024 label, etc.) and influence of research on French territory and abroad (Land of Games label, etc.), with the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), the Ministry of Sports and the International Committee of the Francophonie Games.
He was appointed Director of the CEROU on March 12, 2020.
On March 30, 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially included CEROU in its reference document entitled "Study centers around the world".
International expert missions.
Eric Monnin regularly speaks as an expert in many countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Greece, Colombia, Italy, the Eastern Caribbean... to promote French, as the Olympic language, and the influence of French culture and the Francophonie.
In December 2021, he was appointed ambassador of the Olympic and Paralympic week (SOP) for Paris 2024.
Requests from the media.
At the occasion of global events such as the Olympic Games, the soccer World Cup... Eric Monnin multiplies interventions, debates, columns and interviews in many media: TV (Sport 365, Eurosport, NRTV (Switzerland), Cnews, France national and regional television, Mandarin TV...), radio (France inter, France info, France culture, RTBF (Belgium), RCF, Autoroute info 107. 7, Radio campus, RCF, France bleu etc.), internet (JOL presse, Aujourd'hui la Russie (Moscow), Les Inrocks, L'Express, La Trench, LCI, etc.), newspaper/magazine (Libération, Ouest France, Le Figaro, Le Matin (Switzerland), L'Est républicain, La croix, Le Progrès, La Lettre de l'économie du sport, etc.).
Since 2021, he has been a consultant for Eurosport and he comments the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo and those of Beijing in 2022.
Musical career.
Éric Monnin studied music theory and instruments for many years at the ‘Conservatoire national de région de musique de Besançon’.
In 1989 the conservatory awarded him the Diploma of Musical Training and in 1992 the Diploma of Trumpet.
He played simultaneously in several orchestras:
Sports career.
Éric Monnin is a former junior international and member of the French junior group in judo over 95 kg, registered for several years on the ministerial list of high level athletes, he has won several podiums at the French school and university championships. He is a 3rd dan black belt and has been a member of the Franc-Comtois dojo since October 1973.