News & events

Alejandro Alvarez Laguna, a CNRS research fellow at the Plasma Physics Laboratory (LPP); Vicky Kalogeiton, a professor at the École Polytechnique Computer Science Laboratory (LIX); and Anna Korba, a lecturer and researcher at the Center for Research in Economics and Statistics (CREST), have received the 2026 CNRS Bronze Medal. This award recognizes the early, already fruitful work of scientists who are specialists in their fields and encourages them to continue on their path.

On 19 March 2026, the final of the 2025–2026 edition of the Swarm Rescue Challenge took place. Organised by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Defence and Security Studies (CIEDS) and the Ministerial Agency for Defence Artificial Intelligence (AMIAD), with support from the Defence Innovation Agency, this drone swarm programming competition, held in simulation, once again brought together French students from schools within the Institut Polytechnique de Paris and institutions under the supervision of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans, as well as Indian students from IIT Madras.

Confrontation in cyberspace is now a reality. The volume and intensity of attacks are increasing exponentially, whether for financial gain, data theft, the manipulation of public opinion to destabilise institutions, or the paralysis of private and public systems, civilian or military alike. A genuine strategic concern, cyber defence is emerging as a fundamental pillar of national sovereignty. In this context, it is essential that telecommunications are secure, resilient, and discreet.

Margherita Castellano impressed the judges at the regional finals of the MT 180 competition on Thursday, April 16, at La Terrasse in Gif-sur-Yvette. The contestant, who took the stage alongside two other doctoral students from the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, has qualified for the national finals of the competition, which will take place at the Théâtre Sebastopol in Lille on May 28.

As a CNRS Research Director at the Laboratory of Dynamic Meteorology (LMD*), Laurent Bopp develops highly detailed models of the ocean carbon cycle. To do this, he studies and incorporates into his simulations phenomena that have been little or not at all represented until now (ocean acidification, coastal ecosystems, human activities, etc.). These models help determine carbon emission targets compatible with those of the Paris Agreement and evaluate adaptation and mitigation solutions developed in response to climate change.

In the fifth episode of the video podcast series “Les entretiens du CIEDS”, dedicated to defence innovation, the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies on Defence and Security invites you to meet Raphaël Danino-Perraud, Associate Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategic Research of the École militaire (IRSEM).

Launched in December 2025, this call aims at encouraging second-year PhD students to envision the impact of their thesis by 2040 thanks to a forward-looking innovation approach based on design fiction.

Ruben Zakine is an associate professor at the Hydrodynamics Laboratory of École Polytechnique (LadHyX*). Recruited in September 2025 as part of the IP Paris Tenure Track program supported by the interdisciplinary center Engineering for Health (E4H), he uses statistical physics to study the evolution of systems composed of a very large number of particles, such as bacterial colonies. His work is, for example, a valuable asset in understanding certain mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and in many other fields.

Alexandre Daby-Seesaram is a senior lecturer at ENSTA's Mechanics and Interfaces Laboratory (LMI*). Recruited in January 2026 as part of the Tenure Track IP Paris program supported by the interdisciplinary Engineering for Health (E4H) center, he brings expertise in computational mechanics that he applies to the medical field. Alexandre Daby-Seesaram uses AI to reduce digital twin models of organs. His work makes it possible to accelerate simulations on these models for therapeutic or personalized surgery purposes.

On Thursday, April 16, 2026, La Terrasse in Gif-sur-Yvette will host the Île-de-France regional final of the “My Thesis in 180 Seconds” (MT180) competition. A must-attend event to discover, in record time, the richness and diversity of doctoral research. The three winners of the MT 180 IP Paris competition will be among the 12 finalists and will compete for a spot in the national final.

On March 19, we will have the pleasure of welcoming Nina Meinzer, Editor-in-Chief of Nature Reviews Physics, who will discuss current editorial practices. Her presentation will take place at 4:30pm in the Painlevé amphitheater at École Polytechnique. To...

To develop the photovoltaic panels of tomorrow and contribute to the energy transition, Stefania Cacovich, a CNRS researcher at the Institut Photovoltaïque d’Île-de-France (IPVF*), is closely studying the materials that make them up. To do this, she has developed a methodology that allows her to precisely map the physical and chemical properties of the photovoltaic cells that make up the panels. The researcher uses photoluminescence, electroluminescence, and...artificial intelligence.