Established to create a link between Oxford University and three major French institutions: The Université de Paris, The CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique) and Le Ministère des Affaires étrangères - Maison Francaise is part of the French Research Institutes Established Abroad (IFRE), ruled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and promotes French culture and language. As well as being a centre for original research and for serious academics, MFO is accessible to the public, with free French language cinema screenings, and children's storytelling run by Alliance Francaise every other Saturday in term time.