Speakers 2024
To see the full list, please click on this link
Originaires de Bondy en Seine-Saint-Denis, Greazi Abira et son meilleur ami se lancent le défi de réussir le concours de Sciences Po Paris. Brisant les codes et les stéréotypes, Greazi Abira décroche sa place dans cette école prestigieuse. « Graine d’Orateur 93 », nait à Bondy en 2015 et propose des ateliers d’éloquence afin d’offrir aux jeunes l’opportunité qu’il a eue. La création de l’association part du constat quotidien des inégalités socio-économiques entre Paris et sa banlieue ainsi qu'entre les milieux aisés et les milieux populaires. Vue comme une discipline élitiste, l’art oratoire ne doit pas rester un privilège de naissance. Depuis 2015 ils se rendent dans les lycées et structures de jeunesses de territoires marginalisés afin de distribuer les techniques rhétoriques pour que toutes et tous se les approprient. Graine d’Orateur, c’est un projet qui a pour but de faire de l’art oratoire un catalyseur de réussite, notamment pour les jeunes issus de milieux populaires”, confie Greazi Abira.
Après un passage dans la filière « Sport-Études », Jean-Philippe Acensi crée une association dans le champ humanitaire et culturel à 19 ans. Remarqué pour son engagement précoce, il devient Directeur de la Maison des jeunes et de la culture de Longjumeau (Essonne). En 1997, il fonde et dirige l'Agence pour l'éducation par le sport (APELS) avec le perchiste Jean-Claude Perrin. Cette structure novatrice en France vise à repérer, labelliser et promouvoir les projets d'insertion et d'éducation par le sport sur l’ensemble du territoire. En 2014, l’agence élargit ses missions à l'insertion professionnelle des jeunes sportifs qui viennent des quartiers défavorisés ; l’ouverture en 2022 de l’École de l'inclusion par le sport, à Garges-lès-Gonesse (Val d’Oise) incarne notamment cette nouvelle ambition. Nommé ambassadeur de l’Alliance pour l’inclusion par le sport lancée en 2024 à l’initiative du président de la République, Jean-Philippe Acensi est également président de l'Association nationale de la performance sociale du sport (ANPSS).
Debate 18 • Is sport a miracle solution for social integration ?
Basile Ader joined August Debouzy in 2018. He is a Former Vice President of the Paris Bar (2018/2019), former member of the Paris Bar Council (2010-2012), former member of the Paris Bar Debating Society (Secrétaire de la Conférence) (1993), former President of the OIAD (Observatoire international des avocats en danger - International observatory for endangered lawyers), former President of Barreau de Paris Solidarité (Paris Bar association of volunteer lawyers) and Managing Editor of Légipresse (magazine on communication law published by Dalloz). Basile Ader also teaches at EFB (Paris Bar School). Basile Ader is involved in all types of criminal, civil or business disputes pertaining to white-collar crime, media law, art market law, and intellectual property. He has a specific expertise in press criminal law, as managing editor of the French monthly magazine Légipresse since its creation in 1987. He has created the “Lawyer representing artists and authors” status (avocat mandataire d’artistes et d’auteurs).
Dean of the School of Public Affairs (EAP) at Sciences Po from 2015 to 2021, Yann Algan is currently associate dean of pre-experience programs at HEC School of Management. His research focuses on populism, well-being and trust within organizations and society. He is the author of « The factory of distrust » (Albin Michel, 2012), which won the prize for best essay (LIRE) and best economics book. Co-director of the Well-Being Observatory (Cepremap), Yann Algan also publishes his research on social capital and the evaluation of public policies, particularly in the fields of education and employment. He is a member of the Institut universitaire de France, the Council for Economic Analysis and the Scientific Council for National Education.
Debate 1 • How face with confidence the contemporary challenges ?
Marc Alperovitch is a graduate of HEC School of Management, in Paris, and digital engineering school ISEP; he began his career in the market risk department of BNP Paribas in the UK, before he became managing director France of the US investment bank AIG. In 2010, he co-founded Isograd, which offers two government-recognized certifications: TOSA, an international standard for assessing and certifying IT skills; and Isograd Testing Services, an assessment solution for recruitment and training courses. Strongly committed to increasing the digital skills of businesses and training program professionals, he is currently Delegate for Certification and Professional Training at the French Association of Digital Industries in Education and Training Courses (AFINEF).
Daniel ANDLER
Philosopher of science, Professor Emeritus at Sorbonne University, member of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques
Titulaire de deux doctorats, l’un aux États-Unis, l’autre en France, Daniel Andler enseigne les mathématiques dans différentes universités parisiennes (1967-1989) avant d’être nommé professeur de philosophie en 1989. De 1999 à 2015, il occupe la chaire de philosophie des sciences et théorie de la connaissance à l’université de Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV) – dont il est aujourd’hui professeur émérite – où il déploie ses recherches en philosophie des sciences et en philosophie de l’esprit. Salué mondialement pour la qualité de ses travaux, il est élu à l’Académie des sciences morales et politiques, dans la section de Philosophie, en 2016. Dans son dernier ouvrage « Intelligence artificielle, intelligence humaine : la double énigme » (Gallimard, 2023), il propose d’éclairer les questionnements liés à la récente résurgence de l’intelligence artificielle à l’aune du lien historique que ces technologies entretiennent avec l’intelligence humaine.
Franco-péruvienne, diplômée de l’ESADE (Barcelone), de l’EHESS (Paris) et de la School of African and Oriental Studies (Londres), Véronique Andrieux rejoint OXFAM en tant que directrice régionale pour l’Amérique du Sud et les Caraïbes, puis directrice de la zone Maghreb, Afrique de l’Ouest et centrale (2004-2008). En 2009, elle devient conseillère sur les politiques de développement auprès du Ministère des Affaires étrangères de l’Espagne, avant de revenir chez OXFAM comme directrice de la zone Amérique latine. De 2014 à 2016, elle est nommée conseillère senior auprès du Club de Madrid, groupe d’influence composé d’anciens chefs d’État et de gouvernement. En 2016, elle est nommée Directrice générale d’Action contre la Faim (ACF), association spécialisée dans la mise en place de programmes internationaux de nutrition, d’assainissement d’eau et de sécurité alimentaire. En 2019, elle devient Directrice générale France du WWF, première organisation mondiale de protection de l’environnement.
Pierre Anjolras was born in 1966, is a graduate of the École polytechnique and a civil engineer. In the past, he worked for the Loire-Atlantique Department of Infrastructure and then for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for External Relations, before joining the VINCI Group in 1999 as the Regional Director of Sogea Sud-Ouest. In 2004, he became the Chief Operating Officer of Cofiroute before being appointed as Chief Executive Officer of ASF in 2007. From May 2010 he was the Deputy Executive Officer of Eurovia in charge of International and Public-Private Partnerships. Pierre Anjolras has been appointed as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eurovia with effect from 1 March 2014, and becomes a member of VINCI’s Executive Committee. He became Chairman of Eurovia in 2016 and Chairman of VINCI Construction in 2021. On May 2024 he has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of VINCI.
Fabienne Arata is a graduate of Skema Business School and began her professional career as a business engineer at IBM France, before becoming Managing Director of ANELIA (an IBM subsidiary). In 2009, she was appointed Managing Director of Columbus IT, an IT services company, before becoming Managing Director of Experis IT and FuturSkill (2012-2017), two Manpower Group companies dedicated to IT professions and professional training. In 2017, she was appointed Director of the French division of LinkedIn, the world's leading professional social network, where she is particularly committed to diversity in corporate recruitment.
Debate 16 • Autonomy and enpowerment: manage teams throught trust.
Bernard ATTALI
Senior advisor, Brookfield Capital
Bernard Attali is a graduate of Sciences Po and ENA (class of 1964) and has held the positions of magistrate at the Cour des Comptes, financial director of Club Med, chairman of the Île-de-France regional development agency, chairman and CEO of several insurance companies including GAN, and chairman of Air France. He has also served on the boards of several French and international companies, including SNCF, CIC, BNP, Société Générale, Hôtels Méridien, Air Inter, La Poste, EuroTunnel and Baccarat. He has taught at Sciences Po, ENA and New York University. He is currently a senior advisor at Brookfield Capital and has held the same position at EQT Group since 2021.
Jacques Attali is a graduate of the École Polytechnique and National School of Administration ; a writer and special adviser to French President François Mitterrand for almost ten years, he is also the founder of four international institutions: Action Against Hunger, EUREKA, EBRD and Positive Planet. The latter promotes the positive economy and supports micro-business owners in poor neighbourhoods in France, Africa and the Middle East. Positive Planet is now the world's largest institution supporting microfinance. Currently an editorial writer for the daily newspaper Les Échos, he has also distinguished himself as an author in a wide range of genres, from novels to plays and essays, exploring the major issues facing the world today, such as his manual "The World, instructions” (Flammarion, 2023).
Ingénieur en design industriel de formation (UTC), Quentin Auger est le co-fondateur, directeur de l'innovation, du studio parisien Dada ! Animation. Depuis 1999, il travaille dans l'industrie du cinéma d'animation, d’abord en tant qu’animateur 3D, puis comme directeur technique au sein de studios internationaux, à l’instar d’Industrial Light & Magic de Georges Lucas à San Francisco. Par ailleurs, membre de commissions d’aides aux moyens techniques au sein du Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC), il intervient régulièrement dans des écoles d'animation et VFX françaises. Spécialiste de l’impact de l'intelligence artificielle générative (IAG), il est également un membre actif du groupe de travail inter-structurel « Creative Machines? » qui réfléchit sur les impacts de l'IAG dans les métiers créatifs.
Gilles August is the co-founder of August Debouzy, currently serving as senior partner. Gilles has headed up our operations since 1998, now leading our corporate division. Over the last 25 years, Gilles has advised key international and French economic players, with a particular focus on M&A, private equity, corporate law, and arbitration. An innovator and entrepreneur who believes in modernizing the legal profession, Gilles launched our "Start You Up" legal incubator program, and created the annual Olivier Debouzy award. Gilles was named Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2007.
Debate 26 • Predicting, imagining, devising strategies: despite that never goes according to plan.
Gwenaëlle AVICE-HUET
Executive Vice President of Europe Operations - Member of the Executive Committee at Schneider Electric
Gwenaëlle Avice-Huet is a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Lyon and holds a postgraduate diploma (DEA) in molecular chemistry from the Ecole Polytechnique. She is civil engineer (Ponts et Chaussées). She worked as a special energy adviser in the office of the Prime Minister and the Minister for Energy in the French government, before joining ENGIE (formerly GDF Suez) in 2010 as the Group's Director of European and Regulatory Affairs. She became CEO of ENGIE North America in 2019, and two years later was appointed head of global corporate strategy for Schneider Electric, based in Boston. She is now a member of the Group Executive Committee and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.
Debate 10 • Can we trust nuclear power and renewables to succeed the global energy transition?
Entrepreneur depuis l'âge de 22 ans, il a fondé de nombreuses sociétés dans des domaines aussi divers que le conseil (Absolut), le bâtiment (Escalade Industrie), la musique mobile (Musiwave), la co-création (eYeka), les outils décisionnels (Captain Dash) etc. Depuis 2012, il est le « digital champion » de la France auprès de la Commission européenne. Aujourd’hui, il est le cofondateur de Urbantech Ventures, fonds de capital-risque dédié aux enjeux de l’intelligence artificielle et de l’environnement dans le domaine des infrastructures. En parallèle, il enseigne à l’Institut national du service public (INSP) et à HEC. En 2024, il publie « Green IA. L'intelligence artificielle au service du climat » (Odile Jacob).
Bertrand Badie is a graduate of Sciences Po and the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO); he wrote his dissertation on "The French Communist Party and the strike" in 1975 before passing the agrégation in political science in 1982. He was recruited as a university professor at Sciences Po in 1990, and in 1999 became its director of the graduate course in international relations. He directed the Presses de Sciences Po collections from 1994 to 2003. As a world-renowned political scientist and specialist in international relations, he is the author of some thirty-reference works on the evolution of the State and sovereignty in international relations and multilateralism, including his latest book: "A subjective approach to international relations" (Odile Jacob, 2023).
Maud Bailly is a graduate of ENS-Ulm, Sciences Po and ENA (promotion République). She joined the Inspectorate General of Finance in 2007, where she carried out a number of strategic and financial audit assignments in partnership with international institutions (World Bank, IMF, etc.). In 2011, she joined SNCF, where she was successively appointed Director of the Paris-Montparnasse station, Deputy Director of the TGV product for the Paris region, and then Director of the Trains business line. In 2015, she joined the cabinet of Prime Minister Manuel Valls as Head of Economic and Digital Affairs. In 2017, she joined Accor as Director of Digital Strategy, where she steered the group's technological transformation. At the end of this mission, she was chosen to develop Accor's business in Southern Europe. In 2023, she was appointed Managing Director of Sofitel, MGallery & Emblems and joined the Executive Committee of the group's Luxury & Lifestyle division.
Debate 16 • Autonomy and enpowerment: manage teams throught trust.
Diplômée de l’Institut d’études politiques de Paris et de l’Ecole nationale d’administration, ancienne élève du Master of Politics de l’Université de New York, Marie-Anne Barbat-Layani a consacré près de 20 années au service de l’État. Elle entame sa carrière en 1993 à la Direction générale du Trésor où elle sera nommée adjointe au secrétaire général du Club de Paris puis adjointe au chef du bureau Énergie, Mines et Télécoms du Service des participations de l’Etat. En 1997, elle rejoint la représentation permanente de la France auprès de l’Union européenne à Bruxelles en tant qu’attachée financière en charge des dossiers concurrence, aides d’État, et services financiers. Trois ans plus tard, elle intègre le cabinet du ministre de l’Économie, des Finances et de l’Industrie en tant que conseillère technique en charge des affaires européennes. De 2000 à 2007, elle se voit tout d’abord confier, au sein de la Direction générale du Trésor, les fonctions de cheffe du Bureau des établissements de crédit et des entreprises d’investissement et de secrétaire générale du Comité national de l’euro, au sein du Service de financement de l’État et de l’économie. Puis, celles de sous-directrice Banques et financements d’intérêt général. En 2007, Marie-Anne Barbat-Layani devient directrice générale adjointe de la Fédération nationale du Crédit Agricole. Elle rejoint en 2010 le cabinet du Premier ministre en tant que directrice adjointe du cabinet. De 2012 à 2014, elle rejoint l’Inspection générale des finances. De 2014 à 2019, elle assure la direction générale de la Fédération bancaire française et de l’Association française des banques. En 2019, elle se voit confier le secrétariat général des ministères économiques et financiers, dont elle est également haut fonctionnaire de défense et de sécurité.
Patricia BARBIZET
Chairwoman of the French Association of Private Entreprises (AFEP)
Patricia Barbizet is a graduate of ESCP-Europe and she began her career in the treasury department of the Renault Véhicules group before becoming Chief Financial Officer of Renault Crédit International. In 1989, she became head of the Pinault Group's Finance Department, before becoming Chief Executive Officer of Artémis, the Pinault family's investment company, from 1992 to 2018. At the same time, she was CEO and Chairwoman of Christie's International (2014 to 2016), a director of several CAC 40 companies and Chairwoman of the Investment Committee of the Strategic Investment Fund (FSI). Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Cité de la Musique-Philharmonie de Paris since 2016, she was elected Chairwoman of the French Association of Private Entreprises (AFEP) in 2023.
Frédéric Bardeau has a degree in political science and economic intelligence. After a military man career, he has worked for 20 years as a consultant, trainer and social entrepreneur. In 2008, he founded the Limite agency, dedicated to responsible communications for NGOs and foundations. In 2013, he co-founded Simplon.co, specializing in professional retraining linked to the digital transformation of companies. Its network of schools enables 7,000 people from all backgrounds to be trained each year in technical digital professions, in France and abroad, with a return-to-work rate of 80%. As a member of the Ashoka network of pioneers in social innovation, Frédéric Bardeau is frequently asked to talk about innovation, empowerment and digital inclusion.
Agrégé de lettres classiques, Fabrice Bardèche entame une carrière de journaliste scientifique et médical au sein des rédactions de Santé Magazine, Ça m’intéresse et Géo, avant d’embrasser une carrière d’enseignant notamment à l'Université Pierre et Marie Curie. En 1980, il rejoint le groupe d’éducation IONIS en tant que directeur du développement et de la communication de l'ISEG Group. En 1998, il devient directeur général, puis vice-président exécutif de IONIS Education Group et participe activement à son développement ainsi qu’à la régionalisation de certaines écoles. Il est à l'origine de la création d'Epitech, de Sup'Biotech et de SUP'Internet ainsi que du Campus technologique qui regroupe les écoles d'ingénieurs et d'expertise technologique. En parallèle de ses fonctions de direction, il continue d’enseigner dans différentes écoles du groupe.
Joëlle Barral has a degree in mathematics and physics from the École Polytechnique in 2001 and a doctorate in electrical engineering at Stanford. She joined the Max Planck Institute (Germany) in 2004 as a research assistant specializing in high-definition magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In 2011, she joined HeartVista, an MRI platform supported by artificial intelligence. Initially an engineer for the Google X R&D laboratory, in 2015 she joined Verily, an Alphabet subsidiary dedicated to the healthcare sector, where she helped to improve robotic surgery using machine learning and digital tools. In 2022, she became head of engineering at Google Research, and then head of the fundamental research teams at Google DeepMind in 2023. She holds many patents and she was awarded by the Pierre Faurre Prize in 2019 (Fondation de l'École polytechnique) for her investment for the ethical and responsible development of A.I. and all her work.
Alain Bauer is Director of the Police and Criminal Sciences Chair of the Security Management Masters’ degree at the National Police Force Officer Training School. He teaches criminology at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (Paris), Fudan University (Shanghai) and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (New York). Alongside these academic activities, he chairs the National Council for Private Security Activities (2012-2018), the Higher Council for Strategic Training and Research (2009-2019) and became Grand Master of the Grand Orient de France (2000-2003). He is a regular contributor to public debate on the issues of violence, illicit trade and organized crime; he has published some twenty books on these subjects, the latest of which is “Thou shalt not kill: Pitiful globalization” (Fayard, 2024).
Emma BECKER
Writer
Après des études en lettres à l’université Sorbonne-Nouvelle et la publication d’une nouvelle érotique dans une revue littéraire, Emma Becker publie à seulement 23 ans son premier roman « Mr » (Denoël, 2011). Immédiatement remarqué par la critique et le public, il est traduit en 14 langues et lance sa carrière de romancière. En 2019, « La Maison » (Flammarion) retrace son expérience heureuse de la prostitution dans un bordel berlinois pendant deux années. Récompensé par le Prix des étudiants France Culture-Télérama, cet ouvrage est ensuite adapté au cinéma par la réalisatrice Anissa Bonnefont en 2022. L’amour, la sexualité, le désir et l’adultère sont les principaux sujets de ses récits intimes à la frontière entre le roman et l’autobiographie. « Le Mal joli » qui vient de paraitre aux éditions Albin Michel raconte la liaison de son alter ego fictionnel avec un autre écrivain.
Debate 40 • Is trust the base of romantic and friendship relationships ?
As a renowned academic, Gérard Bekerman began his career as an assistant to Raymond Aron at the Collège de France. He continued his career as a visiting professor at UCLA (Los Angeles) and the University of Paris II. He is currently co-director of the Essec Finance Chair. He is also the author of numerous scientific publications and authoritative works on public accounts and international monetary and financial issues. A member of Afer since 1987, he became its director in 2005 and its chairman in 2007. Graduated of the Ecole Normale de Musique, he is the founder and chairman of the International Competition for Outstanding Piano Amateurs, as well as the chairman of the Long-Thibauld Foundation, whose aim is to support talented young people in the professional music world.
Francesco Bellino is a core member of Boston Consulting Group’s Climate & Sustainability, Consumer, and Corporate Finance & Strategy practices. Since joining BCG in 2007, Francesco has worked extensively with companies in consumer industries on issues related to sales and marketing, M&A, organizational design, and turnaround. He also supports clients across industries on defining, prioritizing, and implementing their sustainability roadmap (with particular focus on carbon, agriculture, and circularity). Prior to joining BCG, Francesco worked for Bain & Company, Sanofi Aventis, and Mount Sinai Hospital.
Debate 20 • Sustainable agriculture for all: myth or reality?
Paolo Benanti is a priest, a member of the Franciscan Third Order and holds a doctorate in moral theology for his thesis ‘The cyborg: body and corporeality in the post-human era’. Since 2008, he has been a lecturer in moral theology and bioethics at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He was appointed an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy for Life by Pope Francis, and took over as scientific director of the Vatican's RenAIssance Foundation in 2021, with the task of encouraging ethical reflection on artificial intelligence (AI). As an advisor to the Pope, he was behind the Rome Appeal ‘for an ethics of artificial intelligence’ (2020), signed by IBM and Microsoft, to encourage digital innovation and technological progress at the service of human genius and creativity. In 2023, he became a member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on Artificial Intelligence.
Agnès Bénassy-Quéré est seconde sous-gouverneure à la Banque de France, en congé de l’Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne et de l’École d’économie de Paris où elle est Professeur d'économie. Ses recherches portent principalement sur le système monétaire international et sur la politique macroéconomique en Europe. Directrice du Centre d’études prospectives et d'informations internationales (CEPII) de 2006 à 2012, elle occupe des postes académiques dans les universités de Paris-Nanterre, Lille et Cergy-Pontoise, ainsi qu'à l'École Polytechnique. Elle devient Présidente-déléguée du Conseil d'analyse économique (2012-2017) puis cheffe-économiste à la Direction générale du Trésor (2020-2023). Elle a été membre du Haut Conseil de Stabilité Financière, du Conseil général de la Banque de France, du Conseil des prélèvements obligatoires, du Conseil national de productivité et du Conseil d'analyse économique franco-allemand.
Debate 48 • The evolution of trust in money: a historical approach.
Amine Benayad est Directeur associé au BCG, qu’il a rejoint en 2012. Il dirige le centre d’expertise Climate & Sustainability pour le BCG en France et pilote pour le BCG au niveau mondial les activités Climate & Sustainability auprès des institutions financières. Amine Benayad, ex-banquier, accompagne des acteurs du secteur financier dans la définition et la mise en œuvre de leur agenda environnemental. Il est diplômé de Centrale Supélec et de l’Université de la Sorbonne.
Titulaire d’un doctorat de Lettres modernes et d’un master en marketing et communication, David Benguigui réalise l’essentiel de sa carrière en France et à l’étranger chez Prodware, éditeur et intégrateur de solutions informatiques, où il est successivement responsable du marketing digital et des contenus, directeur social media & content et directeur du marketing. En parallèle, il est nommé vice-président du Club des Marketers In Tech (CMIT), communauté de plus de 1000 professionnels du marketing et de la communication qui se réunit essentiellement autour de préoccupations B2B. Soucieux de partager son expérience, il est également Mentor auprès des entrepreneurs de l’incubateur L'Escalator (Levallois-Perret), impulsé en 2021 notamment par Maurice Lévy. Nommé directeur Communication & Marketing 360° du groupe IONIS en 2023, il est par ailleurs membre du comité de direction du groupe IONIS.
Partner at August Debouzy since 1999 in the employment law group, Marie-Hélène Bensadoun’s main focus is on employment and social security-related disputes. She assists employers with their negotiations with staff representatives and trade unions, redundancy plans, employee incentive plans, compensation packages as well as mass litigation. Marie-Hélène is a committed activist. She is an active participant in the Start you up program launched by the firm and offers pro bono legal services to the association “Joséphine pour la beauté des femmes”. From 2016 to 2022, she was vice-president of Avosial, a network of corporate lawyers specializing in labour law. She is director of the “Toutes à l’école” association supporting access to education for girls.
Rachid BENZINE
Teacher, political scientist, islamologist, associate researcher at the Paul Ricoeur Fund
Having just graduated, Rachid Benzine became involved in Muslim-Christian dialogue and, in a major essay co-written with Father Christian Delorme, " We have so much to talk about " (Albin Michel, 1998), gave an account of their work to promote social peace in the Minguettes suburb of Lyon. He taught at the Institut d'études politiques d'Aix-en-Provence and was a research associate at the Observatory of Religious Affairs and the Paul Ricœur Fund. As an islamologist specializing in contemporary Koranic hermeneutics, he was co-director of the "Islam des lumières" collection published by Albin Michel. He is the author of large number of essays, novels and plays. His epistolary novel “Nour, why didn't I see it coming?” (Seuil, 2008) has been successfully staged in several countries.
In 2003, Édouard Bergeon began working as a journalist at France 3 Poitou-Charentes, before joining the society department of France 2. In 2012, he made his first documentary, ‘Les Fils de la terre’, about farmer suicides. Committed to defending the farming world, his feature film ‘In the Name of the Land’ (2019), which tells the story of his farmer father, was a popular success. In 2020, he launched the digital platform ‘CultivonsNous.Tv’ (now ‘Aunomdelaterre.tv’) to raise awareness and highlight the initiatives of the new generation of farmers. After the publication of his book ‘Cultivons-Nous, Eating Well with Today's Farmers’ (Les Arènes, 2021), he returned to the camera to pay tribute to women farmers in the documentary film ‘Women of the Earth' (2024). The same year, he presented his second feature film, ‘The Green Promise’, starring Alexandra Lamy and Félix Moati.
Debate 20 • Sustainable agriculture for all: myth or reality?
Céline Berthon is graduated from the École nationale supérieure de la police and became a police commissioner in the department of Yvelines (2000-2005), before joining the Central Public Security Directorate (DNSP). She was General Secretary of the National Police Commissioners' Union (SCPN) from 2014 to 2018, before taking over as head of the DNSP in 2021. Appointed Deputy Director General of the National Police in spring 2023, she was finally chosen a few months later to head the Directorate General of French Internal Security (DGSI). In succeeding Nicolas Lerner, who had left to head the Directorate General for External Security (DGSE), she became the first woman to occupy this high-profile post.
Debate 26 • Predicting, imagining, devising strategies: despite that never goes according to plan.
Arnaud de Bertier is a graduate of the École Polytechnique, École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées and INSEAD. In 1990, he joined the consulting firm McKinsey, becoming a junior consultant and then an expert consultant in the pharmaceutical and insurance sectors, a position he held for 16 years until 2019. Influenced by Laurent Cantet's movie "Between the walls" (2008) and driven by a desire to fight against school drop-out, he became a maths teacher in a secondary school located in a priority education network. At the same time, he became involved in two associations providing support for community involvement and guidance, Unis-Cité and Article 1, as well as Ecolhuma, which supports teachers and headteachers in helping pupils to succeed at school.
Debate 17 • Millennials : new generations' commitment to regain confidence.
Pierre Bessé is CEO of Bessé, a family-run, independent company based in Nantes. As a specialist in insurance consultancy, he pushes back the boundaries to improve risk management for medium-sized and large companies. His company has topped the risk manager satisfaction rankings for the third year running. At the dawn of the 2010s, Pierre Bessé was one of the first voices to urge entrepreneurs to protect themselves against the cyber threat. He has also been involved in the fight against cancer for many years, working with the Institut Curie and the Institut Gustave Roussy to train managers in the challenges of working with cancer.
Samantha BESSON
Jurist, Professor at the Collège de France, Chair of ‘International Law of Institutions’.
Born in Beirut (Lebanon), of Swiss and British nationality, Samantha Besson holds a doctorate in international law. She began her career as a post-doctoral researcher at Columbia Law School (USA) and then at Oxford University (UK). She has been Professor of Public International Law and European Law at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) since 2005, and is also a visiting lecturer at numerous universities and law schools around the world. A specialist in international, European and comparative human rights and democracy law, she regularly advises the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. A member of the Committee of the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences and an associate member of the Institute of International Law, she will be appointed professor at the Collège de France in 2019. As holder of the ‘International Law of Institutions’ chair, she is continuing her work on innovation in the international institutional order.
Claire Biot is Vice-President of the Healthcare Industry at Dassault Systèmes. She positions virtual twin universes to accelerate therapeutic innovation in healthcare industries and foster best medical practices among practitioners to improve patient experience. A graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and the Corps des Mines, Claire holds a master's degree in life sciences from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA, and a doctorate in immunology from the Institut Pasteur. Claire is a Knight of the National Order of Merit and was named Young Leader 2022 by the French-American Foundation.
Jean-Michel BLANQUER
Professeur de droit, président du think tank « Le Laboratoire de la République »
Docteur en droit, agrégé de droit public, titulaire d'une maîtrise de philosophie et d'un DEA à Sciences Po, Jean-Michel Blanquer débute sa carrière comme attaché d’enseignement à l’université Panthéon-Assas. De 1998 à 2004, il dirige l’Institut des hautes études de l’Amérique latine, avant d’être nommé recteur de Guyane (2004-2006), puis recteur de l'académie de Créteil (2007-2010) et Directeur général de l'enseignement scolaire (DGESCO) au ministère de l'Éducation nationale (2010-2012). En 2013, il devient Directeur général de l’ESSEC Business School. En parallèle, il publie plusieurs ouvrages remarqués sur la réforme du système éducatif, dont « L'École de demain » (Odile Jacob, 2016). De 2017 à 2022, il est le ministre de l’Éducation nationale et engage plusieurs transformations d’ampleur à l’instar d’une réforme du baccalauréat et la mise en place du dédoublement des classes de CP et CE1 en REP. Battu lors des élections législatives de 2022, il reprend le chemin de l’enseignement à l’université Panthéon-Assas et s’installe à la présidence de Terra Academia, école de la transformation écologique de Veolia crée en 2023.
Debate 16 • Autonomy and enpowerment: manage teams throught trust.
Titulaire d’un master en géopolitique et relations internationales, David Blough s’engage rapidement dans les domaines de l’économie sociale et solidaire et l’éducation par le sport. D’abord au sein du groupe SOS, puis chez PLAY International, premier dispositif international dédié à l'innovation sociale par le sport, qu’il dirige de 2013 à 2021. En 2021, il fonde l’agence 10 dédiée à l’utilité sociale du sport auprès d’organisations porteuses d’innovation et d’impact social à l’instar de Paris 2024, l’AFD ou encore la Fondation de France. Auteur de deux essais reconnus, « Sportwashing. Que sont devenues les valeurs du sport ? » (Rue de l’échiquier, 2020) et « Le Sport des solutions, voyage en terre des possibles » (Rue de l’échiquier, 2023), il présente au festival de Cannes 2024, son documentaire « XXI, le sport des solutions » qui met en lumière cinq initiatives emblématiques de l’impact social du sport dans le monde.
Crédit Photo : Géraldine Aresteanu
Debate 18 • Is sport a miracle solution for social integration ?
Patrick BOUCHERON
Historian, Professor at the Collège de France, Chair of ‘History of Powers in Western Europe, 13th-16th centuries’.
Patrick Boucheron is a graduate of the École normale supérieure de Saint-Cloud and holds an agrégation in history. He defended his doctoral thesis in 1994. A lecturer at the ENS Saint-Cloud and professor of medieval history at the University of Paris 1 since 2012, he was elected chairman of the scientific council of the École française de Rome and professor at the Collège de France in 2015. His work, initially centred on the urban history of medieval Italy, now focuses on the history of power since the Middle Ages. He is a scientific adviser to a number of organisations (Rendez-vous de l'Histoire de Blois, Mucem) and is also a member of the steering committee of the Théâtre de la Concorde in Paris. He encourages us to look at history in a more open way when creating programmes for the general public, such as the documentary series ‘When History Makes Dates’, broadcast on Arte.
Debate 55 • Science and social networks : how bulding trust ?
Stéphane Boujnah is graduated of Sciences Po and holds a Masters in Business Management from INSEAD. He began his career as a business lawyer specialising in international investment projects in France. He became an adviser to Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry (1997-1999), before spending ten years as a managing director and investment banker with prestigious European banks. He was appointed CEO of Santander Global Banking & Markets for France and Benelux in 2010, before taking over as head of Euronext in 2015, the eurozone's leading pan-European stock exchange operator, connecting seven European stock exchanges to the world's financial markets.
Debate 48 • The evolution of trust in money: a historical approach.
Audrey Bourolleau is a graduate of the Business School in La Rochelle and began her career with the BIC group, in charge of business development in Africa and the Middle East. She went on to work in the marketing and sales departments of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, then France Boissons, before heading up the Syndicat des Côtes de Bordeaux. In 2012, she became general delegate of Vin & Société (an association representing the French wine industry) before joining Emmanuel Macron's campaign team in 2016. She was agriculture, fisheries, forestry and rural development adviser in the office of the President of the Republic from 2017 to 2019. In 2020, together with Xavier Niel, she founded the Hectar school in the Yvelines, which specialises in training for agricultural professions and farm takeovers.
Debate 8 • How to revitalise our speeches about climate change's challenges ?
Founder and director of the economic analysis and consultancy firm Asterès, Nicolas Bouzou is an essayist and columnist for L'Express, Europe 1 and LCI. He is one of the vice-presidents of the cercle Turgot, a think tank that works on economic and financial culture in France. Director of studies and lecturer in the master's degree Business Administration Law & Management at the University of Paris II Assas, Nicolas Bouzou is also the founder of the Rencontres de l'Avenir organised in Saint-Raphaël since 2018. He is the author of around twenty books, including ‘La Comédie (In)humaine’ written with Julia de Funès (éditions de l'Observatoire, 2018) and ‘La civilisation de la peur’ (XO, 2024).
Chris BOWLER
Biologiste, directeur de recherche au CNRS, professeur invité au Collège de France (2020-2021)
Diplômé en microbiologie à Warwick (Royaume-Uni), Chris Bowler est titulaire d’un doctorat en biologie moléculaire végétale à l'Université de Gand (Belgique). Spécialiste de la biologie des plantes et des algues, il est directeur de recherche au CNRS et directeur du laboratoire de Génomique des plantes et des algues à l'Institut de biologie de l'École normale supérieure (ENS) depuis 2002. Médaille d'argent du CNRS (2010), Grand prix scientifique de la Fondation Louis D. de l'Institut de France (2015), il est également membre de l’Académie d’agriculture de France depuis 2018. Pendant l’année académique 2020-2021, il est titulaire de la chaire annuelle en « Biodiversité et écosystèmes » du Collège de France afin de développer ses recherches autour de la réponse des plantes et des diatomées marines aux signaux environnementaux ; sa leçon inaugurale est intitulée : « La biodiversité et les écosystèmes à travers le temps et l'espace » (Fayard, 2021). Par ailleurs, depuis 2021, il est le directeur scientifique du projet Tara Oceans qui vise à explorer la biodiversité, l’écologie et l’évolution du plancton dans les océans du globe.
Born on July 26, 1972, Estelle Brachlianoff is a graduate of the École Polytechnique and the Ponts et Chaussées engineering school. She joined the Val-d’Oise infrastructure department of the Paris metropolitan area in 1998 as head of the major infrastructure department. In 2002, she became advisor to the Prefect of the Ile-de-France region, in charge of transportation and development. She joined Veolia Environmental Services in 2005 as special advisor to the CEO. She became CEO of Veolia Environmental Services Cleaning and Multiservices in 2008 and of Veolia Environmental Services Ile-de-France in 2010. In 2012, she became CEO of Veolia Environmental Services in the UK. She was also a member of the President’s Committee of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) from 2013 to 2018 and was President of the French Chamber of Britain from June 2016 to July 2018. A member of Veolia’s executive committee since 2013 and director of the UK and Ireland zone from 2013 to 2018, Estelle Brachlianoff was Veolia’s deputy CEO since September 1, 2018 to 2022. Since 2019, Estelle Brachlianoff has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Hermès International and a member of its Audit and Risk Committee and its CAG-CSR Committee. On July 1, 2022, She became Chief Executive Officer of Veolia.
Debate 1 • How face with confidence the contemporary challenges ?
Yves Bréchet is a graduate of the École polytechnique and holds a doctorate in materials physics. Throughout his career, he has sought to bridge the gap between fundamental research and the technical industrial problems facing modern society. Yves Bréchet was an university professor and teacher-researcher at the Grenoble Polytechnic Institute (INP) from 1992 to 2018, and has also worked as a scientific advisor in industry (ArcelorMittal, Alcan, EDF and ONERA). As a member of the National Commission for Nuclear Waste, he was appointed High Commissioner for Atomic Energy (2012-2018). He is a member of the Académie des Sciences since 2010 and Chairman of the Scientific Council of Framatome and Scientific Director of Saint-Gobain.
Debate 10 • Can we trust nuclear power and renewables to succeed the global energy transition?
François-Marie BRÉON
Directeur de recherche au CEA, professeur invité de la chaire annuelle Avenir Commun Durable au Collège de France (2024-2025)
Diplômé de l’ENS, François-Marie Bréon soutient une thèse en climatologie sur l’utilisation des satellites pour observer et comprendre les variations du climat de la Terre. Chercheur physicien-climatologue au sein du Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l’environnement, laboratoire de recherche mixte (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ) rattaché à l’Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL), il a contribué à l’écriture du chapitre « Forçages radiatifs naturels et d’origine anthropique » du 5ème rapport du GIEC (2014). Auteur de « Le réchauffement climatique » (HumenSciences, 2020), il est également président de l’Association française pour l'information scientifique (Afis) depuis 2020. Il occupe la chaire annuelle « Avenir Commun Durable » du Collège de France pour l'année 2024-2025.
Debate 55 • Science and social networks : how bulding trust ?
Gérald Bronner is a member of the Academy of Technologies since 2014 and of the National Academy of Medicine since 2017. He has written numerous scientific articles and books on the formation and disappearance of collective beliefs (rumour, ideology, religion, magic, etc.) and on human cognition, including ‘The Empire of Beliefs’ (2003, PUF) and ‘The Democracy of the Gullible’, (2013, PUF). Appointed head of the ‘Enlightenment in the Digital Age’ commission by Emmanuel Macron in 2021, he is overseeing the report on conspiracy, hateful content on the internet and fake news published in January 2022. He recently published a more personal book: ‘Exorcism’ (Grasset, 2024).
Diplômé de l'École spéciale des travaux publics et de l'École nationale supérieure du pétrole et des moteurs (IFP School), Pierre Brossollet débute sa carrière en 2001 comme ingénieur forage chez TotalEnergies à l’international (Argentine, Indonésie, Iran). Sur le terrain, il développe une expertise de la composition et du fonctionnement du sous-sol. En 2008, il rejoint l’opérateur pétrolier Maurel & Prom où il acquiert de solides compétences commerciales et financières. En 2018, il fonde Arverne, rattachée au technopole Hélioparc de Pau, avec l’objectif d’en faire rapidement une entreprise experte dans la valorisation énergétique des ressources souterraines. Fort de sa spécialisation dans la géothermie et dans la production de lithium bas-carbone, le groupe Arverne entre en bourse sur la place Euronext Paris en 2023. Son ambition est de permettre à la France de disposer de sources d’énergie propres, renouvelables, et non intermittentes, grâce à la richesse de son sous-sol.
Debate 10 • Can we trust nuclear power and renewables to succeed the global energy transition?
Diplômée de l’école d’ingénieur ESTP et de l’Executive MBA d’HEC, Méka Brunel commence sa carrière dans le secteur du BTP chez Fougerolle. En 1996, elle rejoint l'entreprise Simco, rachetée en 2003 par Gecina (foncière). En 2006, elle devient Directrice générale d'Eurosic, société d'investissement immobilier cotée (foncière), avant de rejoindre en 2009 Ivanhoé Cambridge en tant que présidente exécutive pour l'Europe. À ce titre, elle pilote le projet Duo (Porte d’Ivry) confié à l'architecte Jean Nouvel. En 2017, elle est choisie pour prendre la tête de Gecina (jusqu’à sa retraite en 2022). Depuis 2023, elle est présidente de la Fondation Palladio, sous l’égide de la Fondation de France, qui est le premier laboratoire de réflexions d’intérêt général sur l’industrie immobilière et la construction de la ville.
After several years in the family business in Paris, he decided with his wife and their children to move to Brittany. In 2015, they opened the Castelbrac hotel in Dinard. Passionate about sailing, they set up the Emeraude Voile Solidaire association to take vulnerable people experiencing all forms of suffering out to sea: physical disabilities, mental disorders, loneliness or exclusion, long-term illness, etc. In 2017, they opened the first Café Joyeux in Rennes, a solidarity café-restaurant employing people with autism or Down's syndrome. Today, more than 120 ‘joyful team members’ are deployed in the 11 Cafés Joyeux in France. The brand recently moved into the heart of Manhattan in New York.