Mathematics, a historic hallmark of École Polytechnique, lies at the heart of many contemporary strategic and technological challenges. To strengthen its international influence in this field and foster interdisciplinary collaboration, École Polytechnique today announces the creation of an Institute of Mathematics and Fundamental Sciences, which will host an ambitious program of research and scientific collaboration. Its future building, to be located in the heart of the Palaiseau campus by 2030, will be funded through an exceptional €50 million donation from Bernard Arnault (X69).
A CNRS research fellow at the Plasma Physics Laboratory (LPP*), Lina Hadid specializes in space plasmas and, in particular, the interaction of the solar wind within the solar system. Interview with a passionate researcher involved in numerous space exploration missions who has just received the Young Researcher Award from the Société Française d’Astronomie et d’Astrophysique.
Sergio Rajsbaum, researcher at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and CNRS, has spent seven months at École Polytechnique as a Gaspard Monge Visiting Professor. During his visit, he and Professor Éric Goubault further developed a new research line focused on the connections between epistemic logic and distributed computing. This was also the theme of an international workshop organized by the researchers on June 15 – 17, 2026.
Elisabeth Maria Niel, Simone Kotthaus, Chloé Techens, and Clément Bonet have received funding from the École Polytechnique Foundation. These Launching Packages will enable them to set up their research teams within École Polytechnique’s laboratories.
The Structural Biology of the Cell Laboratory (BIOC*), in collaboration with Ifremer in Brest, the CBI in Toulouse, and Institut Pasteur, has identified a molecule in archaea capable of putting the ribosome, a cellular machinery essential to cells, into a state of dormancy. This “hibernation factor” binds to the ribosome when external conditions are unfavorable.
Nadir Soucha, a third-year doctoral student in management sciences at L' X Interdisciplinary Laboratory (LINX*) and the automotive supplier Valeo, is conducting a comparative study of emissions from industrial production in France and India.
Emmanuel Candès (X90) is a co-winner of the prestigious 2026 Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences. The Shaw Prizes, sometimes referred to as the “Asian Nobel Prizes,” honor scientists in three fields: astronomy, biological and medical sciences, and mathematics.
In May, Micah Goldblum, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Columbia University, spent four weeks at l’X as an Alliance Visiting Professor. His stay at the Center for Applied Mathematics (CMAP) enabled him and El Mahdi El Mhamdi, a professor at École Polytechnique, to advance their international scientific collaboration, which also involves PhD students from both institutions.
X2009 and Professor Monge at the Laurent Schwartz Mathematics Center (CMLS*), Martin Leguil and his colleague Davi Obata received the Lounsbery 250 Years Award. This award was established to celebrate Franco-American ties in science.
Abdoulaye Ndiaye (X2010) is the winner of the first Africa NextGen Economist Prize, which was presented on May 15, 2026, in Kigali, on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum. The prize, created by the media outlets Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report in partnership with the African Development Bank, recognizes the best young African economist under the age of 40.
École Polytechnique and Accenture have announced the signing of a strategic partnership aimed at developing ambitious collaborations in research, education, and innovation focused on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Signed for a four-year term, this transformative partnership reflects a shared commitment to addressing today’s major technological, economic, and societal challenges.
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