On 10th October, the Alliance Program marked its 15th anniversary with a one-day conference in Paris. Entitled “Bridging Ideas”, the event featured two keynote panel discussions focusing on: “Building Sustainable and Resilient Cities” and “Will the Future Work?” A marketplace of ideas session showcased the research and ideas of faculty and doctoral students who have been grantees of the Alliance Program. The event brought together a diverse audience of scholars, researchers, students, senior higher education officials, and journalists.
Laurence Auer, Director of Cultural, Academic and Research Cooperation, at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "The Alliance program acts as a catalyst for transatlantic partnerships, and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs is very grateful to have such a key partner. The program has grown into a model for integrated academic cooperation between French and American universities. Over the course of the past 15 years, the program has contributed to the implementation of innovative and excellence-based academic partnerships. The Alliance therefore fully meets our objectives in terms of student mobility.”
Eric Labaye, the new President of École Polytechnique, said: “The Alliance Program facilitates the creation of academic links, synergies and know-how transfers for the strong cosmopolitan network of leading professors and research centers from our four institutions and offers students the unique opportunity to benefit from the commitment of its community.”
According to Frédéric Mion, President of Sciences Po, “At the time of its launch, 15 years ago, the Alliance was a pioneering transatlantic initiative. It remains so today, thanks to the diversity and richness of the joint activities and collaboration that move the program forward today.”
Georges Haddad, President of Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, stated that the Alliance Program and the celebration of its 15th anniversary “demonstrate the importance of international programs. As we say in mathematics, we have reached a “singularity” and our duty, in years to come, is to make Alliance into a flagship for each of our institution.”
John Coatsworth, the Provost of Columbia University underscored the fact that “this year marks not only the 15th anniversary of Alliance itself, but also the 10th anniversary of the Alliance endowment. This endowment, to which the French Government and Columbia University contributed in equal parts, testifies to our joint commitment to work together and to ensure that collaboration among our four institutions continues to flourish.”
Photo credits: © Pascal Levy/Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
