Fulbright International Education Administrators Program 2026: Two Weeks at the Heart of French Higher Education and Research
From October 3 to 16, 2026, the Franco-American Commission – Fulbright France welcomed 14 U.S. higher education administrators to France as part of the Fulbright International Education Administrators Program (FIEA).
Representing a diverse range of institutions across the United States, the participants traveled to Amiens, Rouen, and Paris over the course of two weeks, meeting with universities, grandes écoles, research organizations, institutional representatives, faculty members, students, and Fulbright alumni.
Designed as an immersion into the French higher education and research landscape, the program offered participants an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of its organization and specificities while discussing issues shared by French and American institutions, including internationalization, student and academic mobility, research cooperation, doctoral education, innovation, and the development of new international partnerships.
First stop: Discovering Amiens' academic and research ecosystem
The program began in Amiens, with an introduction to the French higher education and research system led by Martine Roussel, Executive Director of the Franco-American Commission – Fulbright France, followed by several days dedicated to exploring the academic and scientific ecosystem of the Hauts-de-France region.
At the Université de Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV), the delegation met with university representatives and discussed the institution's international strategy, student and doctoral mobility, research, and opportunities for cooperation with U.S. institutions.
Participants also discovered several research teams and facilities in fields ranging from chemistry and health to energy. A visit to the Energy Hub, a platform dedicated in particular to electrochemical energy storage and home to the headquarters of the French Network on Electrochemical Energy Storage (RS2E), provided an opportunity to explore the connections between academic research, innovation, and the energy transition.
This first stop also offered the opportunity to meet Nahel Blanc, a Fulbright France – Région Hauts-de-France grantee, ahead of his upcoming research stay in the United States, providing a concrete example of the academic mobility and scientific cooperation supported through this regional partnership.
Exploring the diversity of French higher education in Rouen
The delegation then continued to Normandy, where a series of meetings highlighted the diversity of institutions and educational models within the French higher education system.
At the Université de Rouen Normandie, participants discussed the university's institutional strategy, academic programs, internationalization, and research and innovation activities. The day also provided an opportunity to discover several research teams and facilities and to meet members of the Fulbright community as well as representatives of the Région Normandie, a partner of the Franco-American Commission.
At NEOMA Business School, discussions focused on international development, academic and research cooperation, innovation, and the changing landscape of higher education, including the growing role of artificial intelligence. Participants also exchanged with students who had experienced academic mobility between France and the United States.
The delegation also benefited from an insightful presentation of the IUT de Rouen, providing a closer look at the French University Institute of Technology model, its professionally oriented programs, and its competency-based approach to education.
Finally, at INSA Rouen Normandie, participants learned more about the French engineering education system while discovering the institution's research activities and examples of international collaboration.
Together, these visits provided different perspectives on education, research, and internationalization while highlighting the many opportunities for cooperation between French and American institutions.
Paris: Institutions, engineering, research, and international cooperation
The final part of the program took place in Paris, combining institutional discussions with visits to higher education and research institutions.
At the Franco-American Commission, the delegation first met with representatives of the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space (MESRE) and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE). These discussions deepened participants' understanding of the French higher education system, its internationalization priorities, and policies supporting academic mobility between France and other countries.
Representatives from CELSA Sorbonne Université then joined the participants at the Commission to present their institution, its academic model, and opportunities for international cooperation.
At Université Gustave Eiffel, discussions focused on the university's international strategy, the PIONEER European University Alliance, international education, partnerships, and research. A visit to the École nationale des ponts et chaussées then offered another perspective on the French engineering education model, its research environment, and opportunities for Franco-American cooperation.
The program continued at ONERA, where participants discovered the organization's work in the fields of aeronautics and aerospace. There, they also met Julien Berthe, a Fulbright France – Région Hauts-de-France alumnus, who shared his experience of a research stay in the United States conducted in collaboration with NASA Langley Research Center.
Finally, a visit to the École nationale des chartes introduced the delegation to another dimension of the French higher education and research landscape, this time through the humanities, archival sciences, and the preservation and study of cultural heritage.
Building connections for future cooperation
Beyond discovering French institutions, the FIEA is above all about the professional and personal connections created throughout the program.
Over the course of the two weeks, the 14 participants engaged with university leaders, faculty members, researchers, students, Fulbright alumni, and institutional partners. These conversations provided opportunities to compare practices, better understand the respective realities of the French and U.S. higher education systems, and identify potential areas for future collaboration.
From Amiens to Rouen and Paris, the 2026 program offered the delegation a broad perspective on the diversity of French higher education and research while creating new connections that may lead to student and academic mobility, joint research projects, and new institutional partnerships between France and the United States.
The Franco-American Commission – Fulbright France warmly thanks all the partner institutions, speakers, faculty members, researchers, students, alumni, and institutional partners who contributed to making the 2026 edition such a rich experience.
We would also like to thank the 14 FIEA 2026 participants for their enthusiasm, curiosity, and engagement throughout these two weeks in France !
More information about the program
