Inauguration of the Franco-Indian Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Global Health
From 16 to 20 February 2026, a delegation from Sorbonne University travelled to Delhi, India, to attend the High-Level Academic and Scientific Meetings (RUSH) symposium organised at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). During the trip, an inauguration ceremony for the Franco-Indian Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Global Health took place on 18 February 2026 on the AIIMS campus. It was attended by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and the Indian Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda.
The ceremony was also attended by H.E. Sanjeev Singla, Ambassador of India to France, H.E. Thierry Mathou, French Ambassador to India, Guillaume Fiquet, Vice-President for International, Socio-Economic and Territorial Partnerships at Sorbonne University, Professor Srinivas, Director of AIIMS, Stéphanie Debette, Executive Director of the Paris Brain Institute and members of the Sorbonne University delegation.
Jointly coordinated by Sorbonne University, AIIMS and the Paris Brain Institute, the centre aims to structure Franco-Indian scientific cooperation in the field of AI applied to global health. This landmark event strengthens and consolidates academic and scientific cooperation between the two nations and is part of a longstanding cooperation between Sorbonne University and its Indian partners.
The centre brings together complementary cutting-edge expertise from Sorbonne University, the Paris Brain Institute and Indian partners in health, neuroscience, and AI, while promoting the diversity of populations studied. It will enable the development and testing of concrete AI applications for healthcare, from diagnosis to the treatment of the most common diseases, particularly brain diseases. They aim to improve access to diagnosis and prevention through more accessible innovative solutions that can be deployed on a large scale.
The inauguration took place in conjunction with two major events organised in Delhi: the fourth edition of the AI Impact Summit, co-hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, and the High-Level Academic and Scientific symposium (RUSH) held on the AIIMS campus.
This trip to India was also an opportunity to hold working meetings with Sorbonne University's long-standing partner, IITD Delhi, as well as with AIIMS. These meetings provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing cooperation projects (Master’s and PhD-level mobility opportunities, interdisciplinary schools, workshops, etc.) and to organise meetings between French and Indian academics to explore new research projects.
During these meetings, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Sorbonne University, AIIMS and the Paris Brain Institute, providing opportunities for new forms of cooperation.
The Sorbonne University delegation also took part in the RUSH symposium (High-Level Academic and Scientific Meetings) held on 18 and 19 February on the AIIMs campus. Vice-President for International, Socio-Economic and Territorial Partnerships, Guillaume Fiquet, represented the university during a plenary session on “AI in higher education and research: opportunities, innovation and risks for the universities of tomorrow.” His participation provided an opportunity to present Sorbonne University's unique approach, based on inclusive and sustainable AI, showcasing the work carried out at the Sorbonne Cluster for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI).