As part of his visit to the United States for the 25th anniversary of Friends of IHES, Emmanuel Ullmo, Director of IHES, and Claire Lenz, Director of Communications and Development at IHES, visited Rice University on October 24, 2024, together with a delegation from École normale supérieure de Paris (ENS), including Caroline Guény-Mentré, Executive Director of the ENS Foundation, Cédric Guillerme, Director of International Affairs at ENS, and Frédéric Worms, Director of ENS. They were accompagnied by a delegation from the Consulate General of France in Houston, including Valérie Baraban Consul General of France in Houston, and Alessio Guarino, Science and Technology Attaché at the Embassy of France in the United States. During the visit, Claire Lenz met with Rice Administrators Caroline Levander, Vice President for Global, Amy Dittmar, Howard R. Hughes Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Ronica Smucker, Associate Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations. 

For Emmanuel Ullmo, the visit began in the afternoon at Rice University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. He then joined the Department of Mathematics, where he was welcomed by Alan W. Reid, Edgar Odell Lovett Professor of Mathematics, and Chair of the Department. After participating in an informal discussion over tea in the Common Room, Emmanuel Ullmo delivered a colloquium talk titled “Symmetries in Algebraic Geometry: Distribution of the Hodge Locus.”

The visit to Rice University concluded with an exclusive dinner at the Cohen House Faculty Club, hosted by Caroline Lavender, in the presence of Valérie Baraban Consul General of France in Houston, as well as prominent scientists and industry leaders based in Houston, including representatives from Air Liquide, Chevron, ENGIE, and TotalEnergies.

During the evening event, Emmanuel Ullmo and Frédéric Worms, together with Rice Faculty members Fred Oswald, Professor of Psychology, and Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, and Ramesh Ramamoorthy, Executive Vice President for Research, discussed the implications of the development of artificial intelligence on science and society — one of the foremost global challenges of our time.

The trip to Houston was a welcome opportunity for IHES to strengthen the academic ties with ENS and Rice, and to connect with the French community in Texas.

IHES is deeply grateful to the ENGIE Foundation for supporting the Institute’s visit to Houston.

Photo credit : Meredith Bonner / Rice University