Sylvain Holtermann holds a BA in Chinese Studies and a MA in Didactics of French as a Foreign Language (FLE). After completing his studies at INALCO in Paris and at Capital Normal University in Beijing (北京首都师范大学), he joined the French programme at HKU in 1995.

With twenty five years of teaching experience, he is actively involved in all aspects of the French programme from teaching to curriculum development and administration. He is the editor and co-author of several textbooks for learners of French language and culture and has developed various content courses as well as project based learning initiatives. He was awarded the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award for 2016-2017.His research interests include the didactics of language and culture, history of the French language, and cultural representation and discourse.

He acts in several instances as a Faculty board member and Chief Examiner. He joined the SMLC management team in 2009 as a Deputy School Head in charge of outreach and development.