Orientation Day for French grantees 2026/27 before their departure to the U.S
On Thursday, June 25, 2026, the Franco-American Fulbright Commission brought together its 2026/2027 French grantees at The American University of Paris for its traditional Orientation Day ahead of their departure for the United States.
The day provided future grantees with an opportunity to prepare for their mobility, meet with the Commission’s team, and benefit from the advice and experiences of alumni who recently completed their stays in the United States.
Several alumni joined us to share their experiences and recommendations on how to make the most of their time in the United States: Christophe Roncato Tounsi (Fulbright-Université Grenoble Alpes Research Scholar Program 2024/2025), Alexandre Billon (Fulbright-Hauts-de-France Research Scholar Program 2024/2025), Juliete Rossie (Fulbright-Hauts-de-France Doctoral Student Program 2025/2026), Clara Aubonnet (Fulbright Doctoral Student Program 2025/2026), Fabien Enger (Fulbright Student Program 2022/2023), Ilyssa Yahmi (Fulbright Student Program 2019/2020), and Aure Gady (Fulbright Student Program 2025/2026).
Former participants in the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program also shared their experiences and advice with the new cohort: Ghislain Ait El Alim, Timothée Lamour, Tambrany Abdou Abdallah, Agathe Kramp-Morisseau, Léo Jury, Zoé Landy-Baillie, and Angelle Dupuy.
The grantees also had the opportunity to learn more about the activities of the France Fulbright Alumni Association through a presentation by its President, Tara Heuzé-Sarmini, and to discover how they will be able to become involved in the alumni community following their mobility.
To mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, the Commission also wished to incorporate this historic milestone into this year’s Orientation Day.
Bertrand Van Ruymbeke, Professor of American Civilization at Université Paris 8 and Fulbright alumnus 2015/2016, gave a lecture entitled “The American Revolution: Context and Interpretations.”
His presentation offered the future grantees a historical and academic perspective on the origins of the United States and the various contemporary interpretations of this founding event, just a few weeks before their departure.
The day concluded with a reception bringing together the 2026/2027 French grantees, members of our selection committees, as well as grantees from our partner foundations and organizations: the Georges Lurcy Foundation, the Monahan Foundation, the Arthur Sachs Endowment, the Leonora Lindsley Memorial Fellowship, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, and McDermott Will & Schulte.
This final gathering provided an opportunity to bring together different generations of grantees and the partners who contribute each year to supporting academic and scientific mobility between France and the United States.
The Franco-American Fulbright Commission warmly thanks all the alumni, speakers, selection committee members, and partners who joined us, as well as our 2026/2027 grantees for their active participation throughout the day.
We wish them a wonderful experience in the United States and look forward to following their projects throughout the 2026/2027 academic year.
