News

Major Events in June 2025

At the Collège de France, all lectures are open to the general public, with no admission requirements or prior registration required, subject to availability.

Major Events

A Legacy for the Future

As part of its commitment to Avenir Commun Durable, the Collège de France is hosting a series of roundtable discussions bringing together leading figures from academia, business, civil society, and government, as well as college students.

Designed as a structured forum for dialogue, this series aims to enable younger generations to question, understand, and debate the major challenges related to climate change. It is part of an approach focused not only on the transmission of knowledge but also on active listening and collaborative problem-solving. The Collège de France acts as a guarantor and facilitator, ensuring the scientific quality of the discussions without influencing their content.

“Ethical Dilemmas of Environmental Activism” with Anne-Marie Ducroux, Aurélien Bouayad, and Alice Canabate
June 5, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Maurice Halbwachs lecture hall).

Taking Action for Education – Rekindling a Love of Math in Schools

A series of lectures organized as part of the “Taking Action for Education” initiative by Stanislas Dehaene, Stéphane Mallat, and Pierre-Michel Menger, on the topic of mathematics.

Notoriously difficult, yet also a source of beauty, mystery, and enthusiasm, mathematics is losing its appeal among many students. Even more concerning is that, over the past thirty years, surveys have shown a steady decline in student performance, particularly in arithmetic and problem-solving, which now places France—according to the TIMSS survey—at the bottom of the rankings among European countries.

“Difficulties in Numbers and Difficulties in Letters – Do They Necessarily Appear Together?” by Naama Friedmann
Lecture on June 10, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Maurice Halbwachs lecture hall) and live on the Collège de France Foundation’s channel.

“What Is a Beautiful Mathematical Problem? : (Re)conciliating Intuition and Mathematical Sense” by Emmanuel Sander
Lecture on June 18, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Maurice Halbwachs Amphitheater) and live on the Collège de France Foundation’s channel.

The Comédie-Française at the Collège de France

The Collège de France and the Comédie-Française are organizing a series of seven sessions during which professors and actors will discuss the science of theater—what it means to act, direct, deliver verse and prose, embody life and society, and take the stage to speak about the world and to the world.

“Theater and Power” by Éric Ruf and Patrick Boucheron
Lecture on June 11, 2025, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Marguerite de Navarre amphitheater).

In Search of Avenir Commun Durable

A series of conferences organized as part of the Avenir Commun Durable initiative, taking the form of a roundtable discussion moderated by a journalist and attended by researchers from projects supported by the initiative.

True to the values of the Collège de France, Avenir Commun Durable aims to contribute to public debate by providing reliable information and data derived from rigorous and demanding research. Since its launch, the initiative has already supported five ambitious research projects, spanning both the humanities and social sciences as well as the experimental sciences.
These roundtables aim to help everyone better understand the goals, approaches, and expectations that shape this research.

“Perspectives on Atmospheric Water” by Matteo Bächtold, Damien Delorme, and Guillaume Guez Maillard
Lecture on June 12, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Guillaume Budé lecture hall).

Conferences

Formalization of Mathematics and Dependent Types

Symposium organized by Thierry Coquand, visiting professor holding the Computer Sciences and Digital Technologies Annual Chair .

June 2, 2025, at the Collège de France (Marcelin-Berthelot campus, Guillaume Budé lecture hall).

The symposium will address, in particular, the extent to which the recent convergence between the formalism of dependent types and the concepts of homotopy and higher-order categories may be relevant to the effective formalization of mathematics.

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Traces of the Dead, Traces of Meaning in Prehistory

Symposium organized by Professor Jean-Jacques Hublin, holder of the Chair in Paleoanthropology .

June 4, 2025, at the Collège de France (Marcelin-Berthelot campus, Marguerite de Navarre lecture hall).

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Recent Advances and Applications of Diagrammatic Monte Carlo for Fermions

Symposium organized by Professor Antoine Georges, holder of the Chair in Quantum Condensed Matter Physics .

June 4, 2025, at the Collège de France (Marcelin-Berthelot campus, Guillaume Budé lecture hall).

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The Daimōn : Between Polytheism and Philosophy

Symposium organized by Professor Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge, holder of the Chair in Religion, History and Society in the Ancient Greek World .

June 5 and 6, 2025, at the Institute of Civilizations (Cardinal Lemoine campus, Françoise Héritier Room).

The symposium aims to discuss the findings of an approach that we will describe—in short—as “polytheistic,” as well as what particularly active research on the daimōn and the philosophers’ “demonology” has brought to light over the past decade.

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Advancing Biomaterials: Biomimetic and Biohybrid Innovations

Symposium organized by Sébastien Lecommandoux, visiting professor holding the Technological Innovation Liliane Bettencourt Annual Chair .

June 6, 2025, at the Collège de France (Marcelin-Berthelot campus, Maurice Halbwachs Auditorium).

The symposium will focus on cutting-edge innovations in biomaterials, with an emphasis on functional synthetic organelles and biomimetic (bio)materials. These materials, inspired by natural systems, are designed to replicate and enhance biological functions in advanced medical applications. A central aspect of the discussions will be multi-scale, multi-component supramolecular self-assemblies—dynamic structures capable of spontaneously organizing themselves—with direct implications for regenerative medicine, drug delivery systems, and, in the longer term, neuroscience.

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X-Chromosome Inactivation

Symposium organized by Professor Edith Heard, holder of the Chair in Epigenetics and Cellular Memory .

June 10 and 11, 2025, at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Maurice Halbwachs lecture hall).

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The Economics of Artificial Intelligence

Symposium co-organized by Professor Philippe Aghion, holder of the Chair in the Economics of Institutions, Innovation and Growth , the RCEA, and the Innovation Laboratory (Collège de France).

June 10, 2025, at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Room 2).

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Haiti, 1825: From Independence to Debt

Symposium organized by Professor Antoine Lilti, holder of the Chair in the History of the Enlightenment, 18th to 21st century .

June 12, 13, and 14, 2025, at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Marguerite de Navarre lecture hall).

This symposium will bring together some thirty participants from Haiti, the Caribbean, the United States, and Europe to examine the events of 1825 and understand how the indemnities were calculated and subsequently paid, the context in which they were imposed on Haiti, and their short- and long-term consequences on Haitian society, economy, and politics, as well as the accompanying trade conditions that are sometimes overlooked.

The conference will broaden the perspective to present to the public a synthesis of the most recent research on Saint-Domingue before and during the revolution, with a particular spotlight on the intellectual history of Haiti in the 19^th century, a field that is currently flourishing.

Contemporary issues related to the memory of the events of 1825, the repeated calls for reparations—notably by Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2003—and the current political situation will also be addressed.

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Genocide: The Law and History of the Crime of Crimes

Symposium co-organized by Professor Samantha Besson, holder of the Chair in International Law of Institutions, and Professor Henry Laurens, holder of the Chair in Contemporary History of the Arab World .

June 13, 2025, at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Maurice Halbwachs lecture hall).

During this one-day symposium, legal scholars and historians specializing in genocide will engage in a dialogue centered on four questions of common interest for understanding the crime of genocide from the perspectives of both disciplines: 1) The prohibition of genocide: from acts of violence and “black legends” to a crime under customary law; 2) Perpetrators of genocide: individuals, groups, and/or institutions; 3) Conditions of genocide: genocidal intentions and/or processes; and 4) Justice and truth regarding genocide: “a past that won’t go away” and “assassins of memory.” The examination of these issues will, of course, provide an opportunity to revisit various cases of genocide throughout history, including those in the history of international law.

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Jules Oppert (1825–1905) and Assyriology of His Time

Symposium co-organized by Professor Dominique Charpin, holder of the Chair in Mesopotamian Civilization , and Antoine Jacquet , a researcher affiliated with the Chair in Mesopotamian Civilization.

June 20, 2025, at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Maurice Halbwachs lecture hall).

This symposium is part of an in-depth research project on the history of Assyriology, conducted under the auspices of the Chair of Mesopotamian Civilization. It aims to explore the emergence of this discipline. Through fourteen presentations drawing on sources—some of which have never been published—the event will offer an opportunity to rediscover Oppert and his fundamental role in the birth of Assyriology, a rapidly evolving field.

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Neuroimmune Crosstalk in Brain-Body Interactions

Symposium organized by Professor Sonia Garel, holder of the Chair in Neurobiology and the Immune System .

June 20, 2025, at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Mireille Delmas-Marty lecture hall).

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The Social Production of Health Inequalities: Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Data. International Perspectives

Symposium organized by Nathalie Bajos, visiting professor at the Public Health Annual Chair , and the research team of the ERC Gendhi (Gender and Health Inequalities) project .

June 26, 2025, at the Collège de France (Marcelin-Berthelot campus, Maurice Halbwachs lecture hall).

The symposium aims to compare different theoretical models for analyzing the production of health inequalities, whether they focus on specific stages of this process (health impairments, access to care, medical treatment) or propose a comprehensive approach.

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Guest Speakers

Order, Geometry, and Defects

A series of four lectures given by Mark Bowick , invited by the Assembly of the Collège de France at the recommendation of Prof. Jean-François Joanny, holder of the Chair in Soft Matter and Biophysics .

June 2, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Mireille Delmas-Marty lecture hall).

Previous lectures: May 12, 20, and 26, 2025.

Statues and Temples in Ancient Egypt

A series of four lectures given by Hourig Sourouzian , invited by the Assembly of the Collège de France at the recommendation of Professor Laurent Coulon, holder of the Chair in The Civilization of Pharaonic Egypt .

June 3, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Mireille Delmas-Marty Amphitheater).

Previous lectures: May 14, 21, and 28, 2025.

How the Same Dyslexia Manifests Itself in Different Languages

Lecture given by Naama Friedmann , invited by the Assembly of the Collège de France, upon the recommendation of Professors Stanislas Dehaene, Chair of Experimental Cognitive Psychology, and Luigi Rizzi, Chair of General Linguistics.

Naama Friedmann is speaking as part of a series of four lectures to be held in May and June 2025.

June 3, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Mireille Delmas-Marty lecture hall).

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Quantitative Stability of Optimal Transport

A series of lectures given by Cyril Letrouit as part of the Peccot Lecture Series .
Since 1885, thanks to a donation from the family of mathematician Claude-Antoine Peccot, the Collège de France has annually honored young mathematicians under the age of 30, who are invited to give a series of lectures at the Collège de France.

June 4, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Mireille Delmas-Marty lecture hall).

Previous lectures: May 14, 21, and 28.

Graeco-Egyptian voces magicae : Historicizing a Cross-Cultural Phenomenon

Lecture given by Panagiota Sarischouli , invited by Professor Jean-Luc Fournet, holder of the Chair in Written Culture in Late Antiquity and Byzantine Papyrology.

June 4, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Mireille Delmas-Marty amphitheater).

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Modern Japanese Sinology as an Imperial Discourse

Lecture given by Takahiro Nakajima , invited by the Assembly of the Collège de France upon the recommendation of Professor Anne Cheng, holder of the Chair of Chinese Intellectual History.

June 5, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Mireille Delmas-Marty lecture hall).

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Research on the Ebla Cuneiform Archives: A Retrospective and Outlook

A series of four lectures given by Marco Bonechi , invited by the Assembly of the Collège de France, at the recommendation of Professor Dominique Charpin, holder of the Chair of Mesopotamian Civilization.

June 5, 12, 19, and 25, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Maurice Halbwachs Amphitheater).

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War and Peace: A Global History of Japan, 1904–1943

A series of four lectures given by Naoko Shimazu , invited by the Assembly of the Collège de France at the recommendation of Professor Anne Cheng, holder of the Chair of Chinese Intellectual History.

June 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2025, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Maurice Halbwachs lecture hall).

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The Origins of War and Peace in the Human Species

Lecture given by Hugo Meijer , invited by Professor Jean-Jacques Hublin, holder of the Chair of Paleoanthropology .

June 6, 2025, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Marguerite de Navarre lecture hall).

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Anatolian Studies in the 1930s as Reflected in Albrecht Goetze’s Correspondence

Lecture given by Silvia Alaura , invited by the Assembly of the Collège de France, at the recommendation of Professor Dominique Charpin, holder of the Chair of Mesopotamian Civilization.

June 6, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Maurice Halbwachs lecture hall).

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Assimilation or Integration? The Representation of Mongolia, Tibet, and Xinjiang in the Parliaments of the Qing Empire and the Republic of China

Lecture given by Egas Bender de Moniz Bandeira , invited by the Assembly of the Collège de France at the recommendation of Professor Anne Cheng, holder of the Chair in Chinese Intellectual History.

June 26, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Collège de France (Marcelin Berthelot campus, Mireille Delmas-Marty lecture hall).