Entente Cordiale University Challenge

Entente Cordiale Challenge

Entente Cordiale University Challenge

A new opportunity for �鶹�ƽ�� students

The Entente Cordiale University Challenge has selected �鶹�ƽ�� to be in the first cohort of U.S. universities to participate as a partner university in its annual Franco-British student summit and competition commemorating the signing of the 1904 Entente Cordiale. The Challenge is held under the patronage of His Majesty King Charles III and President Emmanuel Macron, and seeks to inspire, equip and nurture the next generation of leaders by connecting some of the brightest young minds with influential leaders, prestigious institutions and enduring traditions. The topic this year is Artificial Intelligence, Power and Ethics. The Challenge is held alternately in France and the UK, and the presentations by finalists and awarding of the Entente Cordiale prizes will be held in London in April 2027.

Strategic guidance and oversight of the student-directed challenge are provided by a Supervisory Board and an International Advisory Board, composed of senior figures from law, finance, academia, public institutions and international affairs. These bodies advise on strategic direction and institutional positioning.

The competition consists of teams of three students from any discipline that will form this fall to research, draft and submit a 5,000-word paper in January 2027. The top ten submissions from each country will be announced in February, and the finalists will be invited to present their work before the international Grand Jury at the 2027 Entente Cordiale Day Summit, taking place on April 7-8. Detailed information about the application and competition as well as opportunities for guidance in the process will also be shared with students across the university in early September.

More information is in the FAQs below.

Questions about the Challenge may be directed to [[kjhoving,Kate Hoving, Associate Director of International Communications at the Reves Center]].

FAQ about the Entente Cordiale Challenge

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Inspired by the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence and to celebrate the pivotal role played by France in America’s fight for freedom, the Entente Cordiale University Challenge opened their platform to a select group of leading American universities to reinforce the Challenge’s transatlantic, historical and global dimension in its mission of academic excellence, civic education and the transmission of shared heritage.

Their purpose is also to show how alliance, sacrifice, diplomacy and shared purpose helped shape America’s birth and the Declaration of Independence itself—lessons that remain essential at a time of profound global uncertainty.

�鶹�ƽ�� will join George Washington University, the University of Virginia, Lafayette College, Columbia University and the University of Alabama as partner universities in the 2026-2027 challenge.

Participating British and French universities include the London School of Economics and Political Science, King’s College London, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Sorbonne University, École Polytechnique, and Sciences Po Paris.

Groups of three students, of any nationality, discipline or level of study can register their team. Registered teams will have until January to research, draft, and submit a report on this year's theme, "Artificial Intelligence, Power, and Ethics." The top ten submissions from each country will be announced in February, and the finalists will be invited to present their work before an international Grand Jury at the 2027 Entente Cordiale Day Summit, taking place on April 7-8.

We will post detailed information and guidance in September. If you have questions before then, you can email kjhoving@wm.edu.

Team Registration Deadline: 30th October 2026

Outline Amendments Deadline: 30th October 2026

Report Submission Deadline: 10th January 2027

Publication of Results: 18th February 2027

Final Events and Ceremony

Opening Ceremony: 7th April 2027

Oral Presentations before the Grand Jury: 8th April 2027

Closing Ceremony: 8th April 2027

One undergraduate student will be chosen to serve as the Reves Center Leadership Intern to assist with outreach and communications for the year.

More information & how to apply

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FAQ about the Entente Cordiale Challenge

Topics

Why is W&M participating in the Entente Cordiale Challenge this year?

What are the U.S. partner universities in this first cohort? What are some of the French and British universities?

How do students compete in the Challenge?

Key Challenge dates and deadlines

Reves Center Entente Cordiale Leadership Internship