Inside the 2026 Lafayette Fellows Leadership Program 

From July 3 to 24, the inaugural Lafayette Fellows Leadership Program brought together 30 exceptional American students for an immersive three-week journey across France. Combining leadership development, academic exchange, scientific visits, cultural exploration, and meetings with some of France’s foremost leaders, the program offered Fellows an unparalleled opportunity to deepen their understanding of French society while strengthening the transatlantic relationship.  

Throughout the program, Fellows engaged with leading voices from government, academia, business, science, and the arts. Highlights included a masterclass on leadership in times of crisis with Hubert Joly, discussions on artificial intelligence with Anne Bouverot and Antoine de Braquilanges, climate change with Valérie Masson-Delmotte, entrepreneurship at Station F, and urban transformation through the Greater Paris Project. The cohort also explored French scientific excellence on the Saclay Plateau and reflected on Europe’s evolving role on the global stage.  

Beyond the classroom, the Fellows experienced France’s rich cultural heritage through visits to iconic landmarks, including the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre Museum, the Fondation Cartier, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, and the Museum of the History of Immigration. They were welcomed at prestigious institutions such as the National Assembly by its President, Yaël Braun-Pivet and attended the Bastille Day military parade at the invitation of the President of the French Republic.  

The program also extended beyond Paris, taking Fellows to Avignon, Arles, and Marseille. They met with Tiago Rodrigues at the Festival d’Avignon, discovered contemporary photography at the Rencontres d’Arles, visited the LUMA Foundation, La Friche la Belle de Mai, CMA CGM’s TANGRAM Center, including its headquarters, solidarity warehouse (L’Entrepôt Solidaire), and training center, and the MUCEM, and concluded with discussions on ocean science at Aix-Marseille University before a closing celebration in Marseille.  

Complementing these experiences, regular French language courses at the Alliance Française de Paris, and independent cultural visits encouraged Fellows to immerse themselves fully in French life.   

As part of the inaugural Lafayette Fellowship, Fellows will soon begin their master’s studies at one of the program’s 15 partner universities in France.  

Stay tuned for more updates about the 2027-2028 Lafayette Fellowship cycle, and take a look at highlights from the Leadership Program below.   

The 2026 – 2027 Leadership Program Highlights