From New York to California: Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne strengthens its U.S. cooperation

New York: long-standing academic partnerships

In New York, representatives of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne met with two key partner institutions: Columbia University and New York University.

On 18^th May, the multidisciplinary student exchange agreement between Columbia University and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne was officially renewed. This agreement enables the continuation of bachelor’s level student mobility between the two institutions, which began nearly 20 years ago. The renewal is part of a long-standing and structuring strategic partnership.

Since 2002, ties between the two universities have also developed through the Alliance Program, a transatlantic academic cooperation network which supports joint research projects as well as mobility opportunities for faculty members and doctoral students every year. Meetings at Columbia University provided an opportunity to engage with Alliance grantees currently on site. For the 2026-2027 academic year, two faculty members and thirteen doctoral students from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne will benefit from these opportunities. 

Discussions with Columbia University also addressed the development of international law degrees, in collaboration with Columbia Law School and the Parker School.

The delegation then visited New York University, the longest-standing U.S. partner of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, with nearly 50 years of bilateral cooperation. This dynamic partnership is reflected in a significant number of annual incoming and outgoing student exchanges, as well as faculty and doctoral mobility (eight over the past three years).

West Coast: towards new opportunities for cooperation

The visit continued in California, where Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne aims to develop new partnerships in order to expand opportunities for academic mobility and collaboration.

The delegation was welcomed by California State University, Sacramento (CSUS), as part of its College of Arts & Letters’ “Global Partnerships Week”. On this occasion, a letter of intent was signed on 20^th May, paving the way for a future multidisciplinary student exchange agreement, the development of joint degree programmes, and faculty mobility between Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and the Californian university. In this context, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne was also featured during the Spring Commencement ceremonies which were held on 22^nd and 23^rd May.

Founded in 1947, CSUS is the only public university in the state capital of California. It is the sixth-largest campus among the 22 institutions of the California State University system. Recognised as one of the region’s leading centres of research, innovation, and community engagement, CSUS has 31,000 students.

The delegation from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne also met with representatives from the Stanford Global Studies School of Humanities and Sciences to explore new avenues for academic cooperation, particularly in relation to doctoral and faculty mobility, building on existing exchanges through Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne’s visiting professorship programme.