During the French President’s state visit to the United Kingdom, Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris), HEC Paris, Université Paris-Saclay, Oxford University and Cambridge University formalised a joint commitment to create a strategic partnership in the field of artificial intelligence.
Named the Entente CordIAle Paris-Saclay – Oxford-Cambridge AI Initiative, this partnership brings together two leading centres of scientific and technological excellence: the Saclay Cluster and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. They share a common ambition – to foster the emergence of excellent, ethical and sovereign artificial intelligence on a European scale.
The aim of the partnership is to structure long-term cooperation in AI research, training and innovation, in order to meet the major challenges of our time. It is organised around five key areas:
- Encouraging academic mobility between students, doctoral students, researchers and teachers to enhance expertise and training.
- Organising joint scientific events (seminars, workshops, symposia) on the major scientific and ethical challenges of AI.
- Launching collaborative research projects: co-direction of theses, interdisciplinary programmes, joint applications for funding.
- Involving industrial and innovation players, to accelerate technology transfer and support AI entrepreneurship.
- Strengthen bilateral cooperation, in line with national and European strategic priorities.
The ‘Entente CordIAle Paris-Saclay – Oxford-Cambridge AI Initiative’ extends the shared vision of Institut Polytechnique de Paris and HEC Paris: to establish a leading European hub in artificial intelligence, at the intersection of cutting-edge research, innovation, and the major challenges of our time.
A firmly solution-oriented ambition realized through Hi! PARIS, a key actor in the France 2030 strategy, integrating cutting-edge research, excellence in education, and concrete technological innovations to enhance European competitiveness. This interdisciplinary centre was co-founded by IP Paris and HEC Paris in 2020, joined by Inria in 2021, and benefits from €70 million in funding over five years.
In a joint statement, Thierry Coulhon, President of Institut Polytechnique de Paris and Eloïc Peyrache, Dean of HEC Paris, said:
“With the Entente CordIAle Paris-Saclay – Oxford-Cambridge AI Initiative, we are taking a decisive step forward in European scientific and academic cooperation. By bringing together the excellence of our institutions, through the interdisciplinary centre Hi! PARIS, with that of Oxford and Cambridge, we are laying the foundation for an unparalleled axis of research and innovation in artificial intelligence.”
Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, concurred:
“The University of Cambridge is proud to be part of this collaboration, which reflects our deep commitment to shaping the future of AI through rigorous research, inclusive education, and responsible innovation. Combining our strengths and sharing knowledge will help us to address the most pressing challenges of our time and ensure AI serves the common good.”
The Saclay Cluster, which includes Institut Polytechnique de Paris, HEC Paris and Université Paris-Saclay, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, are joining forces to build AI excellence.
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