Vicky Kalogeiton, a researcher at the École Polytechnique’s Computer Science Laboratory (LIX*), has just received a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). The goal of her research project FLASH is to make generative image AI more efficient, more accessible, and more sustainable.
Against the backdrop of a nationwide slowdown in the job placement of recent graduates, the Polytechnique engineers of the Class of X2020, who will graduate in 2025, are reaffirming the strength of their transition into the workforce. One-quarter of graduates enter the civil service, 28% go on to pursue a Ph.D., and nearly half of graduates join the private sector, working at companies of all sizes. Of the graduates who join the company, 97% find their first job in Europe (88% in France), dispelling the notion of a brain drain.
Four Cycle Ingénieur polytechnicien students participated in the 2026 International Mathematics Competition, held in Bulgaria from July 27 to August 2. They once again distinguished themselves with their excellent results, winning four First Prizes, including a Grand First Prize awarded to Georges Tézé, who ranked 5th overall. A fifth Cycle Ingénieur polytechnicien student, Aymane Bouhsain, also won a silver medal.
Yannis Laplace’s team at the Irradiated Solids Laboratory (LSI*) has just achieved a major breakthrough by demonstrating the operation of a “temporal photonic crystal.” This finding has been published in the journal *Nature*. This is a collaboration with the Collège de France, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Thales’ Albert Fert Laboratory, and the Laboratory of Physics of Interfaces and Thin Films (LPICM*).
Chinese mathematician Hong Wang (Class of 2010 and recipient of an honorary doctorate from École Polytechnique) has been awarded the 2026 Fields Medal, the highest international honor in mathematics. Honored for her proof of Kakeya's conjecture in three-dimensional space, she became the third woman in history to receive this prestigious award. This award highlights the excellence of her scientific career and reflects her close ties to École Polytechnique, where mathematics plays a central role in the training of engineers and researchers.
Mathematician Hong Wang, X2010 and an Honorary Doctor of École Polytechnique, has just been awarded the Fields Medal in 2026 for her work on the Kakeya conjecture. Here is an overview of a problem whose origins date back more than a century.
By bringing together specialists in optics and biology within the same laboratory, the LOB stands out among research laboratories. This unique setup...
At the Applied Optics Laboratory (LOA*), the CALYCO Chair aims to develop an industrial laser-plasma acceleration system for non-destructive imaging, with potential applications in the energy, aerospace, and automotive sectors. The project is funded by Institut Pierre Lamoure through the École Polytechnique Foundation.
Through an event bringing together scientists and distinguished guests from the French aerospace sector, the École Polytechnique’s “Space: Science and Space Challenges” Chair reaffirms its key role in educating young engineers in this field, combining research, teaching, and industrial partnerships.
Fiona O’Brien, a student in École Polytechnique’s Master of Science & Technology program “Economics for Smart Cities and Climate Policy”, was invited to present her joint research with Emma Jung, a master's student at TUM, at the TRA (Transport Research Arena). This year, Europe’s largest conference on transport research and innovation took place in Budapest from May 18–21, 2026. Fiona and Emma conducted their research on the impacts of the Paris low-emission zone (ZTL) on mobility and environmental outcomes as part of the “Cities and Transportation” course at l’X.
Professor Éric Vivier, a professor at École Polytechnique and an internationally recognized expert in immunology, is the recipient of the 2026 William B. Coley Prize, one of the world’s highest honors in the field of tumor immunology. This award recognizes his pioneering work on natural killer (NK) cells and their decisive contribution to the development of new approaches to cancer immunotherapy.
The ceremony formalizing Bernard Arnault’s sponsorship of École Polytechnique’s Institute of Mathematics and Fundamental Sciences project took place on July 2 at the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, attended by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin, and numerous prominent figures from the political, economic and academic worlds. This institute will host an ambitious program of research and scientific collaborations. Its future building, to be located in the heart of the Palaiseau campus by 2030, will be funded by an exceptional donation of 50 million euros from Bernard Arnault (X69).
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