Fragnière was born in Lausanne. He graduated in Philosophy at the University of Lausanne. He continued with a postgraduate at the College of Europein Bruges and became assistant to the rector and director of studies at the College. He then went to the United States and studied during two years the history of religions. In 1993 he obtained his doctorate in philosophy at the University of Maastricht. Fragnière's career has been entirely devoted to European matters, including domains of education, professional training, university cooperation and social policies. He has been
founder and first general secretary of the Société Européenne pour la Formation des Ingénieurs, 1973–1980, and of the Association for Teacher Education in Europe, 1976-1980.
director of the Centre Européen Travail et Société , Maastricht, 1980–1991
director of the EUROTECNET programme of the European Community.
founder of Presses Interuniversitaires Européennes, 1985.
part-time director of the program Central European University, Prague, 1991–1993
rector of the College of Europe in Bruges, 1993–1995
professor of sociology of religions, at the Centre for social studies, Central European University, Warsaw, 2001–2003
first chairman of Forum Europe des Cultures, for the defence and promotion of European cultural diversity, 2002-2005.
president of Mémoire d’Europe, association for the assistance of European citizens in order to know better their identity and common history.
director of three collections at PIE – Peter Lang in Brussels: Philosophie et Politique; Dieux, Hommes et Religions; Europe des cultures.
L’homme et la vie, Biologie contemporaine et éthique, Paris, 1978.
, Employment and youth policy, European Centre for Work & Society, 1983.
Égalité des chances et formation professionnelle : Résultat de l'analyse comparative de sept rapports nationaux portant sur les programmes de formation professionnelle des femmes en entreprise, juillet 1982, Office des publications officielles des Communautés européennes, 1984.
The Future of Work: Challenge and Opportunity, Van Gorcum Ltd, 1984.
Formation et condition humaine au XXIe siècle, PIE, 1991.
, Secularization: An Analysis at Three Levels, European Interuniversity Press, 2005.
La religion et le pouvoir. La chrétienté, l’Occident et la démocratie, PIE - Peter Lang, Collection : « Dieux, Hommes et religions », N° 6, 2005 & 2006,.
Hendrik Brugmans. Building Europe by educating Europeans, Madariaga Foundation, Brussels, 2006.
, Identités Culturelles Et Citoyenneté Européenne: Diversité Et Unité Dans La Construction Democratique De L’Europe, Peter Lang, 2008.
, Regards éthiques sur l'Union Européenne, P.I.E.-Peter Lang, 2011.
Autre regard sur l'homme et le divin: Essai sur les religions et la philosophie, EME éditions, 2015.
To be published:
Miroir littéraire d’un Européen, Journal personnel, Tome I: La houle du temps.
Du multiculturalisme à la convivance. Vers une nouvelle culture politique européenne.
