A teacher-researcher from Besançon is at the heart of a case that is shaking up the academic world: he is suspected of having created an international distinction in philology out of thin air and then awarded it to himself. This staged event has led to him being expelled from his university.
This is the story of a professor of language science who mistook his dreams of grandeur for reality. This is the story of an academic mystification that, for him, will end up in court.
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Florent Montaclair, aged 56, is currently the subject of an investigation by the Montbéliard (Doubs) public prosecutor's office into a number of alleged offences, including forgery, use of forgeries, fraud and usurpation of title.
The investigations also extend to verifying certain aspects of his academic career, in particular an alleged doctorate obtained at an American university, the very existence of which is being called into question.
A perfectly thought-out and executed ploy
To strengthen his academic aura, in recent years he is said to have set up an entirely fictitious organisation, carefully named to evoke international recognition and scientific prestige.
Once this organisation had been invented, everything was simple: it announced its 'results', and Professor Montaclair's namenaturally appeared among the winners. Unsurprisingly, he was awarded this prize, which he himself had helped to define and bring into existence.
With this distinction presented as "international", the recognition is then integrated into his career. It appears on his CV and in his professional presentations, offering the image of a researcher dedicated to the highest level. This 'award' then becomes a lever of credibility, reinforcing his visibility and consolidating his position in the academic world, while potentially opening up new career opportunities.
The harder the fall
But in the age of digital technology and constant verification, lying is a perilous exercise. It was when colleagues at the Université Marie & Louis Pasteur in Franche-Comté (source in French), as well as journalists, were trying to ascertain the origins of this mysterious prize, which no-one had heard of in the specialist circles of the Sorbonne or Oxford.
The investigation quickly brought to light the total absence of any legal structure, real jury or funds associated with this award. The "Nobel for Philology" was nothing more than a pipe dream.
And as is often the case, these stories end badly, starting with his expulsion from the University. The lecturer "no longer performs any function within the university " where he had been posted for more than 20 years, according to the institution's deputy director of communications.
At the same time, the French Ministry of Education has launched a process to assess the charges against him, which could lead to disciplinary measures being taken, including outright expulsion.