Interview with Margherita Castellano, a doctoral student at the Center for Applied Mathematics (CMAP), who has qualified for the national finals of the science communication competition “My Thesis in 180 Seconds" (MT180*). She is seeking to better understand the role played by small molecules called surfactants when two immiscible fluids interact, as in the case of air and water in soap bubbles.
Hong Wang (X2010), a Chinese mathematician and academic specializing in harmonic analysis, has just received two prestigious new international mathematics awards: the Clay Research Award and the New Horizons in Mathematics Prize. Hong Wang has distinguished herself in particular by announcing a proof of Kakeya’s conjecture in three dimensions, a problem that has remained open for over a century, at the intersection of analysis and geometry.
Vicky Kalogeiton, Alejandro Alvarez Laguna, and Anna Korba have been awarded the 2026 CNRS Bronze Medals. The CNRS Bronze Medal recognizes the first major contributions of researchers who are leading experts in their fields.
After studying science, where she developed a passion for computer science, Manon Blanc completed a PhD at the École Polytechnique's Computer Science Laboratory (LIX*). She has received the Saclay Plateau STIC PhD Prize and the L'Oréal-UNESCO Young Talents Prize. Interview.
Former director of the Center for Management Studies (CRG*), Michel Berry received the Olivier Lecerf Prize, awarded by the Académie des sciences morales et politiques, for his career achievements.
International, Entrepreneurship, Corporate relations, Innovation, Sustainable Development
From 21 to 24 October, Seoul host one of the most important events in the electronics and IT industry calendar: the Korea Electronics Show (KES). During the event, Tinental, a start-up founded by Elin Flyger and Nicolò Luppi, received the ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) Innovation Award. This green technology company aims to reduce energy consumption at industrial sites using artificial intelligence.
Using high-intensity lasers, an international team involving researchers from the Applied Optics Laboratory (LOA*) and the Intense Lasers Laboratory (LULI*) will probe the behavior of light at an unprecedented level, at the limits of current quantum electrodynamics theory. The project has just been awarded a Synergy Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).
Three young researchers from École Polytechnique receive the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talent Award. Thirty-four doctoral and postdoctoral students are recognized for their research work. The jury was chaired by Françoise Combes, astrophysicist and President of the French Academy of Sciences.
X81 and former chair of the applied mathematics department at École Polytechnique, Stéphane Mallat has been awarded the CNRS Gold Medal, the research organization's highest distinction.
Anna Korba, Vignesh Kannan, Thomas Debris-Alazard, and Alejandro Alvarez Laguna have just been awarded Starting Grants from the European Research Council (ERC). These grants enable young researchers to set up research teams working on cutting-edge topics.
A publication by researchers at the Irradiated Solids Laboratory (LSI*) has just been awarded the Brunauer Prize by the American Ceramic Society. The researchers succeeded in isolating and studying the structure and reactivity of a concrete mineral to demonstrate its role in the problem of concrete degradation in sulfated environments. This problem directly affects the durability of buildings.
François Levin has just been awarded the Prix Michel Serres de thèse interdisciplinaire 2025 for his doctorate at l’X Interdisciplinary Laboratory (LINX*). His thesis is entitled “L'intelligence artificielle au défi de ses critiques philosophiques”.
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