Professor Jacques Soulie, born in Toulouse,France, is the Director of the Alliance Francaise(French Cultural Centre) in Kandy. Soulie is a psychiatrist by profession and has been based in Sri Lanka for several years. He is considered to be one of the great contributors to Franco-Sri Lankan relations as he has served several years teaching the French language in his adopted country. He has also worked at the University of Peradeniya, as a visiting French language lecturer.
Although he is French, Soulie speaks and understands the Sinhalese language. He has been the catalyst for several arts and literary events in the Kandy area over the years.