The American University of Paris

In May, The American University of Paris was a gathering point for Latin Americanist scholars from around the world.

AUP co-hosted a reception with the Roger Thayer Stone Center for Latin American Studies of Tulane University, welcoming attendees of the 60th Congress of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA 2026) for an evening of connection and exchange.

The event celebrated Anthony Pereira's first year as Executive Director of the Stone Center and welcomed Ana Paulina Lee to the AUP faculty. Lee, whose work moves between literature, history, Brazil, Asia, and Africa, is one of several AUP faculty who bring the region into dialogue with broader questions about empire, memory, democracy, and culture across the Americas, Africa, Europe, and beyond. Paris is, after all, a natural vantage point for that kind of conversation.

Learn more about research and faculty at AUP: https://www.aup.edu/academics/faculty

Still not over it. Congratulations, Class of 2026. 🎓

France and the United States: two nations bound by a historical relationship, each projecting onto the other aspirations and anxieties that say as much about the observer as the observed. 🇫🇷 🇺🇸

Last month, AUP's Center for Critical Democracy Studies brought 23 scholars together in Paris for 'A Quarter-Millennium of Franco-American Relations'—a conference tracing 250 years of Franco-American history.

Held in partnership with The Tocqueville Society and with the support of Princeton University and the Chambrun Foundation, the event spanned two days, six panels, and two plenary lectures. It opened with an evening reception at the Hôtel de Talleyrand and will continue with a follow-up conference at Princeton in November 2026.

Learn more about the Center for Critical Democracy Studies: https://www.aup.edu/academics/research-centers/center-critical-democracy-studies

Last Friday we celebrated Commencement 2026:

195 undergraduate and 56 graduate students. One unforgettable ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet.

A special shoutout to the following individuals:

🎓 Valedictorians — Melissa Cordaro & Julia Morgan
🏆 Sin-Ming Shaw Award — Maple Hughes & Catherine Samson
👏 Faculty Awards — Sofia Valeonti, Mariana Dias Paes, Amanda Dennis, Biswamit Dwibedy & Miranda Spieler
🎬 Barbara Reno Prize for Filmmaking — Isabela Sallaberry
🌐 Danielle Savage Award — Ella Thorne & Arianna Williams
🎖 Alumni Awards — Homa Naficy & Boriša Falatar
🎤 Student speakers — Diva Haider & Leen Al Daqqaq

Congratulations, Class of 2026. We can't wait to see what you build. 🌍

🔗 Full recap: https://www.aup.edu/news-events/news/2026-05-29/aup-celebrates-graduates-and-awards-honorary-degrees-ta-nehisi-coates-and-rachel-cusk-commencement-2026

The Class of 2026 has officially graduated! 🎉🎓

On Friday, The American University of Paris celebrated its newest alumni at the 2026 Commencement Ceremony. To our graduates, their families, and everyone who supported them along the way—congratulations!

We are so proud of everything this class has accomplished. Here's to the next adventure! 🌍

Lights, camera, liberal arts! 🍿🎬

With the Cannes Film Festival in full swing, we're celebrating our own slice of cinema. The American University of Paris recently hosted its Spring 2026 Film Festival, organized by Rêve Film Production. Held at the end of each semester, the festival brings together cinematographers, video editors, producers, directors, screenwriters, photographers, graphic designers, sound engineers & mixers, costume designers, and animators to share the projects they've been working on throughout the semester.

This edition also featured a special multi-screen installation from Professor Isabelle Carbonell's Advanced Video Production class.

A liberal arts education provides the tools to think freely and tell stories. At AUP, film studies combines analytical thinking, cultural history, and hands-on filmmaking to give students the skills to process and engage with the contemporary world. Find out more: aup.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/film-studies

Thank you to everyone who screened their work or attended!

Two extraordinary writers. One unforgettable graduation. 🎓

We are proud to announce this year's honorary degree recipients: Ta-Nehisi Coates and Rachel Cusk.

Ta-Nehisi Coates has shaped public conversation on race, history, and power for over two decades. His essay "The Case for Reparations" sparked national debate, and Between the World and Me won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. A MacArthur Fellow, he currently teaches at Howard University.

Rachel Cusk's writing has redefined contemporary fiction. From her Whitbread-winning debut Saving Agnes to the celebrated Outline trilogy and Parade, awarded the Goldsmiths Prize, her work has consistently pushed the boundaries of narrative and voice. A Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Prix Femina étranger recipient, she lives and writes in Paris.

We look forward to welcoming them both to our graduation ceremony.