Paris, April 15, 2026
The U7+ Alliance was founded during the 2019 French G7 Presidency at the initiative of President Emmanuel Macron. Seven years later, on the eve of the 2026 U7+ Annual Presidential Summit, and again under the French G7 Presidency, U7+ was recognized as an official G7 engagement group. Conscious of this new responsibility, U7+ presidents returned to Paris for this year’s Summit, labeled as an official G7 event. Hosted by École Polytechnique, Sciences Po, and Université Paris Cité, 37 Universities from 14 countries gathered for two days to discuss critical challenges and opportunities aligned with the Social Role of Universities.
True to his commitment to U7+ since its inception, President Macron invited the members of the extended U7+ Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) to a meeting at the Palais de Élysée. More specifically, the President reaffirmed his commitment “to promoting free and independent science and academic freedom, and encouraged universities to engage in the contemporary public sphere in order to bring scientific facts and arguments to bear against the opinions, beliefs, and misinformation that saturate the media and social networks”.
Kohei Itoh, President of Keio University and current Chair of the U7+ Alliance, presented President Macron with the U7+ Communiqué entitled "The Social Role of Universities in a Divided World", which underscores the importance of universities as guardians and pillars of democratic societies. President Kohei insisted on “the instrumental contribution of the U7+ Presidents to the Communiqué” and shared with the members that “President Macron was particularly pleased to see that the ideal he had hoped for the Alliance stayed intact highlighting the capacity for Universities to adopt long term vision in a moving context marked by many crisis”
The document calls upon G7 governments and governments worldwide to better support their universities and to engage them as key partners in effectively addressing the major challenges of our time. The meeting also provided a unique opportunity for U7+ members to share their vision and proposals on the role of universities in addressing technological, democratic, climate-related, geopolitical, and demographic shifts.
Another major highlight of the Summit was the opening remarks addressed by Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space, Philippe Baptiste who insisted on the importance of acting collectively to address current crises as well as reinforcing University contribution and voice on the public scene. These opening remarks were followed by an inspiring keynote from Jean Tirole, Nobel Prize-winning economist in 2014 highlighting the impact of higher education in societies and democratic systems, and the “Power of the Powerless”, quoting the famous essay from Vaclav Havel.
Throughout the Summit, the Hosts conveyed key messages, reaffirming their strong commitment to the Alliance and emphasizing the importance of upholding multilateralism:
“At a time of disruption brought about by the rise of IA, universities have a particularly central role to play in combating the social mistrust and digital manipulation that threaten our democracies. Science sits at the heart of our democratic societies and is more than ever relevant to public policy choices, making a close cooperation of Higher Education institutions with the G7 essential”, Laura Chaubard, President of Ecole Polytechnique
“The U7+ was born from a vision put forward by Sciences Po seven years ago. Today, in the context of profound and often unsettling transformation that our current world is undergoing, the raison d’être of the U7+ Alliance is not only intact: it is more urgent than ever. Seven years after it initiated the U7+ Alliance, Sciences Po is proud to have co-hosted the 2026 Summit. As we affirmed in the statement that was presented to the French President Emmanuel Macron, our universities play a structuring role in maintaining a space of knowledge creation and transmission that is essential to democratic debate and to the construction of shared solutions.” Luis Vassy, President of Sciences Po.
“The social role of universities is no longer limited to the dissemination of research and knowledge; it has become an indispensable function in supporting decision-making for our democracies. By fostering substantive dialogue, academic freedom, and the integration of knowledge across disciplines, the U7+ Alliance transforms scientific expertise into a strategic compass for the G7. In Paris, we reaffirm that universities are the guarantors of social cohesion, a source of innovation, and capable of balancing the long-term nature of research with the urgency of global challenges”, Édouard Kaminski, President of Université Paris Cité.
During the Summit, presidents engaged in four thematic panels, working together on issues critical to both U7+ and the world at large: the Social Role of Universities, AI and Business, Climate Change and Sustainability, and Dual-Use Research.
A new chapter is opening for the Alliance at a time marked by uncertainty and by growing pressure on essential democratic freedoms and principles. The U7+ is committed to engaging more actively with governments and like-minded partners who share a dedication to democracy and science, and who are determined to provide concrete responses to global challenges.
All participants extend their heartfelt thanks to Sciences Po, Université Paris Cité, and École Polytechnique for their wonderful hospitality and organization, not forgetting the Town Hall of Paris’s 13th arrondissement for their magnificent reception hall, their flexibility and their warm welcome. The Alliance looks forward to reconvening in Japan next year, as Tohoku University will host the 2027 U7+ Presidential Summit on March 1–2, 2027.