Finalists are invited to present before a Grand Jury during the Entente Cordiale Day Summit on April 7–8.
Held alternately in France and the UK, the event features prestigious ceremonies and a gala where the five winning teams from each country are awarded Entente Cordiale Prizes.
Hôtel des Invalides, Paris 7 April, 6:30 PM Inspirational speeches and official opening Military Parade, Flag Raising Ceremony, speeches by senior dignitaries, networking in the Grand Salon, brief visit of Napoleon's Tomb. Dress code: Business Attire / Military Uniforms.
La Sorbonne, Amphitheater Descartes & Richelieu 8 April, 9:00 AM 5:35 PM Finalist teams present before the Grand Jury in two sessions (morning and afternoon), with jury deliberation at lunch.
Recognition and presentation of Entente Cordiale Prizes to the winning teams. Château de Breteuil, Yvelines 8 April.
Formal gala in the Grande Galerie, Château de Breteuil. Speeches by dignitaries and sponsors. Dress code: Black Tie 8 April, 6:30 PM.
7 April 2026 · École Militaire, Amphithéâtre Foch, Paris · 2:30 PM
"Security, Diplomacy, Influence: The Shifting Fronts of the Europe-Russia Relationship"
"How to define the Russian threat and what European response?"
"Russia as an international competitor or geopolitical danger?"
8 April 2026 · La Sorbonne, Amphithéâtres Richelieu & Duroselle
The International Grand Jury of the Entente Cordiale Challenge brings together leading figures from the academic, institutional, military, economic and media worlds. Its mission is to evaluate the work of the finalist teams and select the winners of the Challenge following the oral presentations at the Entente Cordiale Summit.
Initiated by the London School of Economics, which hosted the Entente Cordiale Day 2025 for the finalist oral presentation, the Entente Cordiale University Challenge is open to any academic institution based in France or the UK. Every year, our university partners are invited to the Entente Cordiale Day Closing Ceremony on April 8th, and to the Alumni Day. Contact us to express interest.
We are proud to count participating students from the following 12 academic institutions below
We have been overwhelmed by the support of our 2025 Entente Cordial Day Challenge jurors and are looking for additional experts to join our Written Jury ahead of our 2026 edition on ‘Conflicts, Technology, and World Security’
Our Written Jury is responsible for selecting the top ten reports in the United Kingdom and France. Two separate jurors assess each report blindly, each providing marks based on a given marking criteria. The marking process takes place in January, followed by a moderation period during which any discrepancies between the two jurors’ marks are investigated and reconciled. We estimate the commitment to be around two hours of your time per report, across two months.
The Entente Cordiale University Challenge is an opportunity for experts in the field to help identify the most meritorious research produced by students in the country, and to connect with other experts during our Entente Cordiale Days and associated events. Every year, we welcome all jurors to our events on April 7-8 to meet the Entente Cordiale University Finalists and connect with a network of academic, economic, and political players in France and the UK.