Home>Three Sciences Po Teams Stand Out as Finalists in the Entente Cordiale Challenge 2026
4 May 2026
Three Sciences Po Teams Stand Out as Finalists in the Entente Cordiale Challenge 2026
In the 2026 Entente Cordiale Challenge, three teams of Sciences Po students competed against teams from France and the UK. These ten teams were the best of the 120 that had been selected to participate. Clara Chevalier, the French president of the initiative and a second-year Bachelor's student at Sciences Po, was also in attendance. The students, as a group of three, were tasked with submitting a 5,000-word report focusing on finding solutions to the theme of Conflicts, Technologies, and World Security.
Three Sciences Po students on the podium
One of Sciences Po's three competing teams, made up of Athéna Benzarti, Simon, Alice Borges Moron, and Sophia Radis, won third prize in the Entente Cordiale Challenge: the General de Gaulle Prize. The three students on the Master's programme in International Business and Sustainability at the School of Management and Impact focused their project on critical minerals, proposing the development of a digital twin tool to ensure European sovereignty over these strategic resources.
« Working as a team on such an ambitious and stimulating project, especially within the international context of the Entente Cordiale Challenge, was a truly formative experience. Exchanging different perspectives and ways of thinking during the research phase and the finals made the experience all the more interesting. »
Athéna Benzarti Simon
Student in the International Business and Sustainability Master's program at the School of Management and Impact
« Taking part in the Entente Cordiale Challenge was a rewarding experience, as it enabled us to think deeply and creatively about current issues and develop practical solutions. The competition comprised two highly inspiring days of summit discussions, characterised by the quality of the exchanges. Receiving the General Charles de Gaulle Prize for our work brought this adventure to a perfect close. »
Alice Borges Moron
Student in the International Business and Sustainability Master's program at the School of Management and Impact
« It was an honor to be selected for the General Charles de Gaulle Prize at the Entente Cordiale Challenge. What we will remember most, beyond this distinction, is the opportunity to engage with renowned speakers and to further develop our ideas alongside students from British universities and other French institutions, which was a particularly enriching experience. »
Sophia Radis
Student in the International Business and Sustainability Master's program at the School of Management and Impact
The winning teams are invited to present their report at the Élysée Palace to the the head of the personal staff of the President of France, as well as to attend the 177th Prix de Diane Longines in June.
Clara Chevalier, “Presiding over the Entente Cordiale: an experience at the heart of Franco-British relations”
My high school years in England gave me a deeper understanding of the United Kingdom's relationship with its history and the driving forces behind its political culture. It was during this time that I developed an interest in international relations, specifically Franco-British relations, which are shaped by a centuries-old legacy of confrontation, reoriented by the strategic imperatives of the 20th century, and driven today by a unique intellectual affinity.
My involvement began with my candidacy and selection as a finalist in the previous edition, followed by my induction into the organisation and my appointment as president.
Held under the patronage of Emmanuel Macron and Charles III, Entente Cordiale Day provides a forum for rigorous academic exchange between leading French and British universities. The initiative aims to promote academic excellence and encourage discussion between the two closely linked intellectual and political traditions of France and Britain.
With a focus on defence and technology issues, the 2025–2026 edition brought together nearly 700 students. The twenty finalist teams from France and the United Kingdom were invited to Paris to present their work at the Sorbonne to a grand jury, who were tasked with selecting the top teams from each country. The summit concluded with a gala dinner at the Château de Breteuil. However, it was the intensity of the discussions, the quality of the projects and the participants’ commitment that made the biggest impression on me.
I was particularly impressed by the commitment shown by Sciences Po students, three of whose teams ranked in the top 10 in France. This result highlights their ability to undertake challenging international projects and the importance of creating spaces for dialogue where ideas can be exchanged and joint solutions developed.
This experience has been profoundly formative. It has made me realise just how much initiatives like this can help to foster Franco-British relations. In a transforming Europe, these relations remain a key driver for strengthening cooperation and developing joint responses to contemporary challenges.
In many respects, the answers to the future balance of power in Europe are taking shape in very concrete terms in this challenging dialogue between French and British traditions.
The 2026 Entente Cordiale Challenge
This competition is an international academic initiative organised by the Entente Cordiale Day, a Franco-British association. In 2026, it brought together over 700 student participants, more than 120 jury members and representatives from over 55 different countries and 35 institutions, including Cambridge University, HEC, King's College London, the London School of Economics, Oxford University and Paris Dauphine University.
The competition finals took place in France on 7 and 8 April as part of The Entente Cordiale Day Summit 2026. They comprised three stages: an opening ceremony at Les Invalides and the École Militaire, an oral examination at the Sorbonne and an awards ceremony at the Château de Breteuil.
The nine Sciences Po students were invited to present their project to an exceptional jury chaired by Maître Fadhel Mahfoudh, co-winner of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize, former president of the Tunisian Bar Association and former Minister of Human Rights. They were also able to attend lectures and roundtable discussions featuring prestigious guests.
Congratulations to all the participating teams and the student organisers!
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