Louis Bazin

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Louis Bazin (20 December 1920 – 2 March 2011) was a French expert on Asian languages and cultures. Born in Caen, he joined the École Normale Supérieure in 1939 and finished in 1943. He then worked as a senior research fellow at the CNRS while studying at the National School for Modern Oriental Languages. In 1949 he became a professor-delegate after his mentor Jean Deny retired. In 1957 he became a full professor at ENLOV, the new name for the Oriental Language School. Since 1950 he directed studies at the École pratique des hautes études (Section IV). In 1980 he joined the University of Paris III as a professor and retired in 1990.

He was active in many learned societies: he was a member and former vice-chairman of the Asiatic Society; he held leadership roles in the International Union of Oriental and Asian Studies (treasurer, secretary general, vice-president); he was elected to the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres in 1993 to Claude Cahen's chair. He also served as Vice-Chairman of the Societas Uralo-Altaica and led the CNRS section for Oriental Languages and Cultures.