Villa Albertine Announces the Lafayette Fellowship, a Prestigious New Graduate Scholarship in France for America's Emerging Leaders

Thirty exceptional U.S. graduates each year will receive fully funded master's study at France's leading universities, alongside an immersive leadership and cultural program designed to cultivate the next generation of French-American leaders.

NEW YORK, May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education within the French Embassy in the United States, supported by Albertine Foundation and in partnership with France Science, is proud to announce the creation of the Lafayette Fellowship, a prestigious new scholarship that will fund 30 outstanding, post-graduate American students to pursue a fully funded, one-year master's degree at one of France's top universities and grandes écoles. Beyond a fully funded graduate study, Fellows will participate in a comprehensive French-American Leadership Program, including mentorship opportunities, access to leading thinkers and institutions, and immersive cultural and civic experiences across France. Upon completion of the program, Fellows will join a growing alumni network dedicated to advancing long-term French-American collaboration.

Established under the high patronage of the President of the French Republic as part of the 250th anniversary of French-American friendship, "The Lafayette Fellowship is an investment in the next generation of American leaders and in the enduring friendship and partnership between France and the United States," said Mohamed Bouabdallah, Cultural Counselor of France in the United States and Director of Villa Albertine. "By giving exceptional young Americans the opportunity to study, live, and build lasting ties in France, we are creating a powerful community of future leaders who will shape the next chapter of transatlantic cooperation."

The Fellowship's inaugural selection process was led by a distinguished jury chaired by Nobel Prize-winning economist Esther Duflo, alongside prominent leaders from higher education, research, and international scholarship, including Dr. Allan Goodman, President Emeritus of the International Institute of Education (IIE), Ms. Deborah Bial, President of The Posse Foundation; Dr. Catherine Dulac, Higgins Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University; Dr. Patrick Weil, Historian at CNRS and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University; and Mr. Bouabdallah.

The first cohort of Lafayette Fellows will be announced on June 1st and welcomed in Paris on July 4, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Applications for the 2027 program will open on September 4, 2026, and close on December 1, 2026.

For more information about Villa Albertine, visit Villa-Albertine.org and the Lafayette Fellowship, visit Lafayette.Villa-Albertine.org or follow along on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

The Lafayette Fellowship is made possible thanks to the support of its patrons:

Carnegie Corporation of New York; Eric and Wendy Schmidt; The Richard Lounsbery Foundation; Hubert and Mireille Goldschmidt; Stephan Haimo and Veronica Bulgari; Reid Hoffman; Hubert Joly and Hortense le Gentil-Joly; David Sadroff; Fidji Simo; Christofer and France Descours; Maggie Lyon; Jean-Hugues and Véronique Monier; Gildo Pastor; Claire Simier and Gregg Galardi; American Friends of Blérancourt; Fondation Chambrun-Lafayette; Ariane and Lionel Sauvage; Marc and Sally Onetto; Allan Goodman; as well as valued partners: Air France as the Exclusive Airline Partner of the inaugural cohort of the Lafayette Fellowship; Campus France; Commission Franco-Américaine Fulbright France; Cité Internationale Universitaire – Fondation des Etats-Unis; and CNOUS.

About Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education

Villa Albertine is an institution of the French Embassy in the United States, supported by the French government and Albertine Foundation. Villa Albertine's mission is to strengthen ties between the United States, France and the French-speaking world through culture and education. 

In the arts and culture sphere, we encourage collaboration among French and US-based organizations and provide creators, thought leaders, and professionals with customized residencies, immersive networking experiences, grants, and connections to audiences so they can explore and share new insights into society's pressing issues.

In the field of education, we craft projects and programs aimed at making French language and culture accessible to young US-based audiences, expand opportunities for students to study and complete internships in France, and support partnerships between French and American higher education and research institutions. 

Villa Albertine is present in 10 major US cities –– Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Washington, DC –– and publishes an annual magazine, States. It is headquartered in New York's historic Payne Whitney mansion, home to the bookstore Albertine.

About Albertine Foundation

Albertine Foundation is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting French American relations through innovative cultural and educational programs. 

In close partnership with Villa Albertine, Albertine Foundation administers grant programs across diverse creative disciplines including visual and performing arts; cinema; and literature, while also supporting exploratory residencies for creative professionals and thinkers across the United States. Albertine Foundation also contributes to promoting French language learning in the United States and funds new opportunities for students, professors, and researchers in the spheres of secondary and higher education.

Albertine Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation by Internal Revenue Service determination. Contributions from corporate, foundation, and individuals are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. 

About France Science

The Office for Science and Technology (OST) of the Embassy of France in the United States is a network of 22 staff members spread across the entire U.S. In close collaboration with the main French research organizations represented at the Embassy, it addresses key scientific topics identified by joint French-American committees, and supports and promotes transatlantic research and innovation in these areas.

SOURCE Villa Albertine