Latest news with #ÉcolePolytechnique
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Alfred Dreyfus, unjustly convicted of treason, gets redemption after 130 years
Antisemitism is (unfortunately) nothing new, but making good on it after more than a century certainly is. People these days may not be familiar with the name Alfred Dreyfus, but the little-known artillery officer's conviction for treason in 1899 still divides French politics. In a surprise move, however, France is making amends for a notorious act of political extremism. In June 2025, French lawmakers unanimously backed a promotion for Alfred Dreyfus. His new rank is brigadier general. France24 called the legislation 'a symbolic step in the fight against antisemitism in modern France.' Late 19th-century relations between Germany and France were surprisingly warm, despite the absolute ass kicking the Germans delivered during the Franco-Prussian War. But that doesn't mean the two sides weren't spying on each other. The French were desperate to get any intelligence they could from the German embassy in Paris. After inserting one of their agents into the embassy housekeeping staff, they acquired a document addressed to the German military attaché, Maximilian von Schwartzkoppen. The paper contained only one piece of sensitive military information: a note about the hydraulic compressed air brakes on a French artillery piece. It prompted France's general staff to look for the source of the leak. War Minister Gen. Auguste Mercier, already criticized in the press for his incompetence, was seeking an easy target on which to pin the blame. Considering the content of the message, he began to scrutinize the artillery officers in the general staff. That's how he stumbled upon Capt. Alfred Dreyfus. There was nothing really extraordinary about Alfred Dreyfus. He was from a well-to-do family in Alsace, which emigrated to Switzerland and then Paris after the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. His experience in the war led him to the elite École Polytechnique military academy. By 1882, he was a respected artillery officer. But he was just the easy target Mercier was looking for. As an Alsatian, he could be portrayed as a German sympathizer. Most importantly, he was Jewish in an antisemitic society looking for a scapegoat. The army claimed the handwriting on the artillery note belonged to Dreyfus (it did not). When he was called in to confess to Mercier, he refused and was arrested for conspiring with the enemy. After a secret, two-day trial, Dreyfus was convicted and his rank was cancelled. He was to be publicly degraded, which meant his medals, epaulettes, sword, and other symbols of his position would be ceremoniously ripped away from him. He was then shipped off to the Devil's Island penal colony in French Guiana. The only problem was that Lt. Col. Georges Picquart, head of French intelligence services, learned who the real spy was: a counterintelligence officer named Maj. Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy. The French press, which was torn between wild antisemitism and anti-government conspiracies, had a field day with the revelation that Esterhazy was sending letters to the German embassy and that his handwriting matched the original note. Still, despite all the evidence, the army acquitted the real spy, who not only wrote ten years' worth of letters about how much he hated France, but also promptly moved to England and later confessed. Picquart was driven out of the French army for his troubles. Dreyfus was eventually retried and somehow convicted again. After the second conviction, he was offered a pardon if he accepted guilt, an offer he accepted just to end his ordeal. The backlash sparked a culture war from which the French far right never recovered, forever separated church and state in France, and led many Jewish Europeans to believe that only a Jewish state could protect them – the seeds of the Zionist movement were planted. Both trials caught the world's attention, but the story doesn't end there. In 1906, Alfred Dreyfus was reinstated, promoted to major, and served in World War I. He served in artillery supply and fought at the Battle of Verdun. He died in 1935, having retired from the military with the Legion d'Honneur and a Croix de guerre. Despite his later history, the Dreyfus Affair, as it became known, remains a divisive issue in French politics. The act of posthumously promoting him to general is seen as a kind of reparation in a country that houses the largest Jewish population outside of Israel itself.
Broadcast Pro
21-05-2025
- Science
- Broadcast Pro
MBZUAI strengthens research ties with France's École Polytechnique
Speaking about the collaboration, Professor Eric Xing, President and University Professor, MBZUAI, said: 'Our partnerships and presence in France are critical to the continued growth and innovation of our research capabilities at MBZUAI and we're excited to expand our relationship with École Polytechnique in support of these efforts. Our expanded agreement represents a blueprint for global research collaboration to advance the field of AI and share in the benefits collectively across France and the UAE.' In February, MBZUAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with École Polytechnique (L'X) to foster collaboration on joint initiatives in education, research, and innovation in artificial intelligence. The agreement was formalised on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in France, where Professor Xing delivered a keynote address on AI, Science, and Society. Building on this partnership, the two institutions signed the Scholars Exchange Programme Agreement in April, enabling the exchange of students and researchers between MBZUAI and École Polytechnique. Laura Chaubard, Director General of École Polytechnique, added: 'I'm delighted to be moving forward with our strategic research partnership with MBZUAI. The scientific synergies are numerous, in the fields of AI for health, safety, and environmental sustainability, as well as in large language models and foundation models for reasoning. I'm sure that these synergies will give rise to rich collaborations in the future.' This strategic partnership represents a significant milestone in accelerating joint research efforts and supporting the next generation of researchers and innovators in the field of AI. MBZUAI's research ties with France are also supported by the growing presence of the MBZUAI France Lab in Paris. Among their achievements to date, researchers at this satellite lab have developed a family of open-source large language models (LLMs) called Atlas-Chat, focusing on the Moroccan Arabic dialect (Darija). The team has released two language models: Atlas-Chat-2B, designed for efficient generation of fluent Darija text, and Atlas-Chat-9B, offering more nuanced, context-rich output for advanced tasks. The France Lab will also be a focal point for MBZUAI's soon-to-be-unveiled Institute of Foundation Models (IFM) a bold, global initiative uniting AI talent across Abu Dhabi, Silicon Valley and Paris. The France Lab will be one of three centres in each of these AI hubs designed to advance the next generation of foundation models and deliver their benefits to communities worldwide.
Arabian Business
21-05-2025
- Science
- Arabian Business
UAE's MBZUAI strengthens AI research ties with France
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) said it will deepen ties with France's AI ecosystem in 2025 after expanding its relationship with École Polytechnique through a Collaborative Research Agreement. The new initiative will support mission-driven research led by core investigators from both institutions. The focus areas will include advancing large language models, developing foundation models for reasoning, and exploring applications of AI in biology, health, and AI safety. 'Our partnerships and presence in France are critical to the continued growth and innovation of our research capabilities at MBZUAI, and we're excited to expand our relationship with École Polytechnique in support of these efforts,' said Professor Eric Xing, President and University Professor, MBZUAI. 'Our expanded agreement represents a blueprint for global research collaboration to advance the field of AI and share in the benefits collectively across France and the UAE,' he said. In February, MBZUAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with École Polytechnique (L'X) to foster collaboration on joint initiatives in education, research, and innovation in artificial intelligence. Building on this partnership, the two institutions signed the Scholars Exchange Program Agreement in April, enabling the exchange of students and researchers between MBZUAI and École Polytechnique. Laura Chaubard, Director General of École Polytechnique, said the institution was delighted to be moving forward with its strategic research partnership with MBZUAI. 'The scientific synergies are numerous, in the fields of AI for health, safety, and environmental sustainability, as well as in large language models and foundation models for reasoning,' Chaubard said. This strategic partnership represents a significant milestone in accelerating joint research efforts and supporting the next generation of researchers and innovators in the field of AI. The university's research ties with France are also supported by the growing presence of the MBZUAI France Lab in Paris.
Mid East Info
20-05-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
MBZUAI Strengthens Research Ties with France's École Polytechnique - Middle East Business News and Information
MBZUAI and École Polytechnique expand partnership with deeper research collaboration in support of growing AI ecosystems in France and UAE Abu Dhabi, UAE, May, 2025: Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) will deepen ties with France's AI ecosystem in 2025 after expanding its relationship with École Polytechnique through a Collaborative Research Agreement. This new initiative will support mission-driven research led by core investigators from both institutions. The focus areas include advancing large language models, developing foundation models for reasoning, and exploring applications of AI in biology, health, and AI safety. 'Our partnerships and presence in France are critical to the continued growth and innovation of our research capabilities at MBZUAI and we're excited to expand our relationship with École Polytechnique in support of these efforts,' said Professor Eric Xing, President and University Professor, MBZUAI. 'Our expanded agreement represents a blueprint for global research collaboration to advance the field of AI and share in the benefits collectively across France and the UAE.' In February, MBZUAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with École Polytechnique (L'X) to foster collaboration on joint initiatives in education, research, and innovation in artificial intelligence. The agreement was formalized on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in France, where Professor Xing delivered a keynote address on AI, Science, and Society. Building on this partnership, the two institutions signed the Scholars Exchange Program Agreement in April, enabling the exchange of students and researchers between MBZUAI and École Polytechnique. Laura Chaubard, Director General of École Polytechnique, said: 'I'm delighted to be moving forward with our strategic research partnership with MBZUAI. The scientific synergies are numerous, in the fields of AI for health, safety, and environmental sustainability, as well as in large language models and foundation models for reasoning. I'm sure that these synergies will give rise to rich collaborations in the future.' This strategic partnership represents a significant milestone in accelerating joint research efforts and supporting the next generation of researchers and innovators in the field of AI. MBZUAI's research ties with France are also supported by the growing presence of the MBZUAI France Lab in Paris. Among their achievements to date, researchers at this satellite lab have developed a family of open-source large language models (LLMs) called Atlas-Chat, focusing on the Moroccan Arabic dialect (Darija). The team has released two language models: Atlas-Chat-2B, designed for efficient generation of fluent Darija text, and Atlas-Chat-9B, offering more nuanced, context-rich output for advanced tasks. The France Lab will also be a focal point for MBZUAI's soon-to-be-unveiled Institute of Foundation Models (IFM) — a bold, global initiative uniting AI talent across Abu Dhabi, Silicon Valley and Paris. The France Lab will be one of three centres in each of these AI hubs designed to advance the next generation of foundation models and deliver their benefits to communities worldwide. About Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) MBZUAI is a research-focused university in Abu Dhabi, and the first university dedicated entirely to the advancement of science through AI. The university empowers the next generation of AI leaders, driving innovation and impactful applications of AI through world-class education and interdisciplinary research. In 2025, MBZUAI launched its first-ever undergraduate program, a Bachelor of Science in AI, with two distinct streams: Business and Engineering.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
MBZUAI Strengthens Research Ties with France's École Polytechnique
MBZUAI and École Polytechnique expand partnership with deeper research collaboration in support of growing AI ecosystems in France and UAE ABU DHABI, UAE, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) will deepen ties with France's AI ecosystem in 2025 after expanding its relationship with École Polytechnique through a Collaborative Research Agreement. This new initiative will support mission-driven research led by core investigators from both institutions. The focus areas include advancing large language models, developing foundation models for reasoning, and exploring applications of AI in biology, health, and AI safety. "Our partnerships and presence in France are critical to the continued growth and innovation of our research capabilities at MBZUAI and we're excited to expand our relationship with École Polytechnique in support of these efforts," said Professor Eric Xing, President and University Professor, MBZUAI. "Our expanded agreement represents a blueprint for global research collaboration to advance the field of AI and share in the benefits collectively across France and the UAE." In February, MBZUAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with École Polytechnique (L'X) to foster collaboration on joint initiatives in education, research, and innovation in artificial intelligence. The agreement was formalized on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in France, where Professor Xing delivered a keynote address on AI, Science, and Society. Building on this partnership, the two institutions signed the Scholars Exchange Program Agreement in April, enabling the exchange of students and researchers between MBZUAI and École Polytechnique. Laura Chaubard, Director General of École Polytechnique, said: "I'm delighted to be moving forward with our strategic research partnership with MBZUAI. The scientific synergies are numerous, in the fields of AI for health, safety, and environmental sustainability, as well as in large language models and foundation models for reasoning. I'm sure that these synergies will give rise to rich collaborations in the future." This strategic partnership represents a significant milestone in accelerating joint research efforts and supporting the next generation of researchers and innovators in the field of AI. MBZUAI's research ties with France are also supported by the growing presence of the MBZUAI France Lab in Paris. Among their achievements to date, researchers at this satellite lab have developed a family of open-source large language models (LLMs) called Atlas-Chat, focusing on the Moroccan Arabic dialect (Darija). The team has released two language models: Atlas-Chat-2B, designed for efficient generation of fluent Darija text, and Atlas-Chat-9B, offering more nuanced, context-rich output for advanced tasks. The France Lab will also be a focal point for MBZUAI's soon-to-be-unveiled Institute of Foundation Models (IFM) — a bold, global initiative uniting AI talent across Abu Dhabi, Silicon Valley and Paris. The France Lab will be one of three centres in each of these AI hubs designed to advance the next generation of foundation models and deliver their benefits to communities worldwide. About Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) MBZUAI is a research-focused university in Abu Dhabi, and the first university dedicated entirely to the advancement of science through AI. The university empowers the next generation of AI leaders, driving innovation and impactful applications of AI through world-class education and interdisciplinary research. In 2025, MBZUAI launched its first ever undergraduate program, a Bachelor of Science in AI, with two distinct streams: Business and Engineering. For more information, please visit To apply for admission, visit or contact admission@ For press inquiries, please contact: Aya Sakoury MBZUAI's Head of PR and Strategic Communications Amy Rogers MBZUAI's Senior Integrated Communications Specialist media@ Photo - View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE MBZUAI Sign in to access your portfolio
