Launching the Lafayette Fellowship: President Emmanuel Macron Visits Villa Albertine New York
Photo by Beowulf Sheehan
Revisit a special conversation with President Emmanuel Macron on the launch of the Lafayette Fellowship.
On Tuesday, September 23, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, officially launched the Lafayette Fellowship and engaged in a special conversation on the future of higher education cooperation between France and the United States, with US university students.
The Lafayette Fellowship, Villa Albertine’s latest higher education initiative, aims to celebrate the 250-yearlong French-American friendship; highlight leading French universities; and shape the leaders of tomorrow.
His speech was followed by a Q&A session with 25 students from universities across the tri-state area.
During the discussion, President Emmanuel Macron particularly highlighted the Lafayette Fellowship as a vital extension of the historic French-American bond, stressing that “culture and education are at the core and the basis of the very special relation we have between our two countries.”
Drawing parallels with the legacy of the revolutionary figure Lafayette, who journeyed across the Atlantic to the United States, he described the program as a symbolic renewal with “a new generation of Americans crossing the ocean, not to wage war, but to invent the future of science and culture together with a common ideal, the legacy of Lafayette, which is a legacy of enlightenment, and belief, precisely in reason, in culture, and in education.”
View the full conversation and learn more about the Lafayette Fellowship below.
About the Lafayette Fellowship
The Lafayette Fellowship will support up to 30 outstanding U.S. students for one year of master’s-level study at one of 15 top French institutions. Programs span Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, the Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts, offered in English or French.
Alongside their academic coursework, fellows will join the French-American Leadership Program, gaining mentorship support and full immersion into European innovation, culture, and policy.
Apply here by November 30, 2025 to join the inaugural cohort in 2026!
Learn more by joining our upcoming informational webinars. Sign up for our webinar for fellowship advisors on Tuesday, September 30 at 2PM ET here. Stay tuned for more information about our webinars for students on Thursday, October 9 at 12PM ET and on Tuesday, October 21 at 4PM ET.
For any questions, please reach out to Florence Botello at lafayettefellowship@villa-albertine.org or consult the program’s FAQs page.
In partnership with
Embassy of France in the United States
To learn more about the French Embassy in the United States, click here.
France Science
The Office for Science and Technology (OST) of the Embassy of France in the United States is a network of 22 staff members spread across the entire U.S. In close collaboration with the main French research organizations represented at the Embassy, it addresses key scientific topics identified by joint French-American committees, and supports and promotes transatlantic research and innovation in these areas.