Held annually in Paris since 2004 (with some editions taking place in the Luxembourg Palace under the patronage of the French Senate), this independent event promotes Olympic values—such as self-transcendence, personal effort across all fields, and international collaboration—as well as self-improvement and, above all, consensus-based decision-making. Its goal is to foster a better 21st century, rooted in a strong, innovative Europe that serves humanity.​

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This unique event honors a wide range of distinguished individuals—including heads of state, leaders of major banks and corporations, Nobel laureates, ambassadors, ministers, deputies, senators, entrepreneurs, artists, writers, and more—as well as projects and initiatives. It brings together visionary ideas and admirable attitudes that inspire personal effort for the common good and excellence, placing humanity at the heart of the innovation process to serve societies.​

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"What kind of humans would we be if we didn’t strive to make things better? I propose a daily question for everyone: How can I create shared value and advance the common good together with others?" —Dr. Florin Paun (www.florin-paun.com), founder of the Paris Scientific and Innovation Diaspora Summit, speaking at the French Senate in Paris in 2022.

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In 2025, the Paris Excellency Awards recognized first the significance of visionary proposals for global progress, honoring international leaders such as:

• Mrs. Kristalina Georgieva, Bulgarian economist and 12th Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF),

• Mrs. Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation at the European Commission,

• Mr. Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank,

• Mr. Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the OECD,

• Mrs. Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank,

• Mr. Patrick Aufort, Director General of the French Defense Innovation Agency,

• Mr. Philippe Étienne, former Ambassador of France to the United States,

• Admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO Allied Commander,

• Mr. Patrick Hetzel, Member of Parliament for Bas-Rhin and former French Minister,

• Mr. Jerry Sheehan, Director for Science, Technology, and Innovation at the OECD,

• Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA),

• Mrs. Anne Bouverot, Chair of the Paris AI Summit, and

• Mr. Bruno Bonnell, Secretary General for France 2030.

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“On behalf of World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, I am writing to thank you for inviting him as a guest of honour and Excellence Award laureate of the Summit, which Interview Francophone is organizing in Paris. President Banga is honoured, and very much regrets that due to prior engagements, he will not be able to attend this notable gathering. Allow me to take this opportunity to signal the World Bank Group’s commitment to bolstering development and stability in the region at this historical juncture. The World Bank also takes a keen interest in the role diasporas and the private sector play in uplifting communities and the broader development agenda. Indeed, the 2023 edition of our annual World Development Report highlights the importance of tapping into this critical resource. Your Summit will surely give rise to fruitful discussions, and strengthen dialogue and cooperation in Europe and beyond. We wish your team and your partners every success at the Summit.” THE WORLD BANK

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“Thank you very much for your kind invitation to the European Summit and for considering the IMF Managing Director for the Excellence Awards. Regrettably, the Managing Director Mrs. Kristalina Ivanova Georgieva-Kinova will not be able to participate in the event or contribute a message, due to longstanding commitments and an exceptionally full schedule. We appreciate your understanding and wish you every success with the Summit. Best regards”. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

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“I am sincerely happy and honored to have received the Excellence Award from the European Summit of the Scientific and Innovation Diaspora Elites. Please allow me to apologize for my absence today, but I wanted to address these few words to you—students, researchers, industrial leaders, and executives.

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Faced with the challenges we encounter—whether geopolitical, political, economic, societal, or environmental—innovation can provide answers. When I speak of innovation, the first two words that come to mind are boldness and risk-taking. That is what we expect from innovators.

Innovation requires striking a balance between the necessary risk-taking to identify potential technological breakthroughs—because the right to fail exists—and managing that risk to provide secure solutions for end-users, especially the armed forces, who must trust their equipment in the field.

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To achieve this, everyone must share in the risk: external partners, the Ministry’s technical experts, procurement officers, project managers, and those responsible for identifying necessary tests. The goal is to define the parameters where we allow risk-taking to maintain a pioneering spirit.

We must also reward those who dare to propose innovative solutions. The Defense Innovation Agency, which I lead, supports innovators within the Ministry of the Armed Forces who wish to offer new solutions.

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Beyond all the questions we ask ourselves, innovation is—and must remain—a matter of mindset: constantly imagining, anticipating, and daring. I am honored to address you, scientists and innovators. But I also want to turn to you, leaders, and say: ‘Allow risk-taking.’ Innovating means daring, testing, and experimenting, but it requires a managerial environment that encourages such boldness. The role of leadership is to create conditions conducive to experimentation, where risk is shared among innovators, industry, and hierarchy, each bearing their share of responsibility.

Innovation also means accepting failure: an unsuccessful test is not a failure but a source of learning, allowing us to discard ineffective paths and explore new ones.

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Ladies and gentlemen, leaders of today and tomorrow, strive to foster trust, responsibility, and a culture of experimentation to enable innovators to dare and build—together—an environment conducive to innovation. Remember that innovation is also a long-term endeavor, and preparing the skills of tomorrow’s experts begins today with schools and research centers.

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If governing means foreseeing, innovating means imagining and daring. Together, let us support innovators, value boldness and risk-taking, and accept failure in service of the operational superiority of our armed forces and the effectiveness of the Ministry’s services."

—Mr. Patrick Aufort, General Manager, Defense Innovation Agency (AID)​

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“I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the great honour of being nominated for the Excellence Awards of the European Summit of Scientific and Innovation Diaspora Elites. I am truly touched by your kind words and by this recognition of my work and commitment to fostering consensus-based approaches for our shared future. Unfortunately, due to prior commitments, I will not be able to attend the ceremony on November 28 at the Palais Brongniart. Please accept my apologies for my absence on this important occasion. I nevertheless wish to convey my deepest appreciation for your initiative in celebrating excellence, dialogue, and innovation across Europe and beyond. I wholeheartedly support the spirit of this Summit and send my best wishes for the success of the event and to all the distinguished participants. With my warm regards and renewed thanks. “ 

Mr. Patrick Hetzel, Député du Bas-Rhin , Ancien Ministre 

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"I wish your event every success, for our societies today face challenges so complex that the values of personal commitment to our communities and democracies—courage, resilience, and solidarity—are more important than ever. I realized this myself while organizing the 80th anniversary of our liberation, a period rich with lessons for us today and filled with inspiring examples of individual dedication that can guide us."

Mr. Philippe Etienne, former Ambassador of France in United States

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“We would like to thank you for your message and for our Executive Director’s nomination for the Excellence Awards of the European Summit of Scientific and Innovation Diaspora Elites.We are also grateful for your kind invitation to the ceremony on 28 November at the Palais Brongniart. Unfortunately, due to prior commitments, Dr. Fatih Birol the Executive Director will be unable to attend. Regrettably, his schedule also does not allow him to provide a video or written message for the event. We extend our best wishes for a successful Summit and Awards ceremony. Kind regards.”  

International Energy Agency

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“Thank you for the kind invitation for Secretary-General Cormann to speak at the Gala of Excellence Awards of the European Summit of the Diaspora Scientific and Innovation Elites on 28 November in Paris. Regrettably, Secretary General Cormann will not be able to attend the event owing to prior commitments that cannot be postponed. We would also like to express our sincere appreciation for his nomination for the Excellence Awards of the European Summit of the Scientific and Innovation Diaspora Elites. This is greatly appreciated. Once again, thank you for thinking of us and we wish you a successful gala. Best regards”  Office of the Secretary General of OECD, Mr. Mathias Cormann 

“On behalf of President Christine Lagarde, I sincerely thank you for your kind invitation to participate in the European Summit of Scientific and Innovation Diasporas and the Excellence Awards ceremony on November 28, 2025, at the Palais Brongniart in Paris. Much to our regret, I must inform you that, due to a very tight schedule of institutional commitments, President Christine Lagarde will unfortunately not be able to accept your invitation or participate, either in person or through a video or written message. We hope for your understanding and wish you a very successful event. Best regards” 

Directorate General Communications EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK 

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“Thank you for your kind invitation but the Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva’s schedule for the moment does not allow her to attend. Thank you for your understanding. Kind regards” 

Cabinet of European Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva 

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 “Thank you very much for the kind nomination and for considering Mr. Jerry Sheehan for the Excellence Awards at the European Summit of Scientific and Innovation Diaspora Elites. Mr. Sheehan is honoured by the recognition and deeply appreciates the initiative’s commitment to promoting consensus-based decision-making and innovation. However, due to the heavy charge of engagements in his calendar in November, he will not be able to participate in the ceremony or submit a message. We wish you and the summit every success in your important work. Best regards”, 

Alexis on behalf of Mr. Jerry Sheehan, Director for Science, Technology and Innovation, OECD

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The 2025 edition is honouring in particularry Bulgaria for having at least two inspiring women leaders at the head of key institutions (IMF and EU) and for recording more than 50% of the Bulgarian female young girls choosing to pursue a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This makes Bulgaria the member state with the best male-female ratio of employees in the ICT sector.

The Paris Excellency awards are not a competition to exclude but a “tiers-inclus” emmulation space to integrate the media and elites diaspora reccomandations to put in light personnalities and actions inspiring the 21st generations of innovators. 

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The 2025 Excellency Awards presented to His Highness Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, also recognize the importance of the visionary investments made by Gulf Arab countries in European disruptive innovations, particularly in deep tech based on scientific research and breakthroughs which can not find funding solutions in Europe. 

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A standout example is Xvaluator, a French deep tech innovation patented in 2019 after a decade of successful independent research. This sovereign innovation introduced a groundbreaking approach and a new AI paradigm in cognitive science, complementing "connective" and "symbolic" AI: the Qualitative AI (Xvalautor).  Recognized by the international scientific community (including the Springer Encyclopedia), Qualitative AI (Xvaluator) has resolved the Condorcet Paradox and Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem, enabling the reduction of fake data flows and, consequently, the ecological footprint of AI and data centers. Among the adopters of this French breakthrough innovation are networks of cities like Issy-les-Moulineaux, entrepreneurial and financial networks such as Pôle Finance Innovation – Europlace, and beta clients like NATO Norfolk in the United States, which expressed the interest in exploring the use of Xvaluator Qualificative AI Pilots—opening a vast market for innovative, consensus-driven decision-making solutions across diverse applications. This French innovation enhances the security of digital identities and drives the evolution of the digital business model—shifting from aggressive polarization toward an efficient, ethical, and "Third-Inclusive" framework that embraces alterity (the recognition of the "other").

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“I am particularly interested in the developments of your deeptech project Xvaluator, qualifying artificial intelligence. After the purely symbolic path of expert systems, then the purely connectionist path of neural networks, AI is now embarking on a third hybrid path, combining previous approaches. In a way, it’s about instilling a little human intelligence into an AI, so that the latter does better than just imitate the “effects” of human reasoning and also incorporates some of the mechanisms of this reasoning. I also understand that this tool, inspired by the theory of social choice, circumvents the Condorcet paradox (non-transitivity of collective preferences) by relying on Borda-style weighted aggregation methods, reflecting not only the order but also the intensity of individual preferences. This way of doing things amounts in a way to introducing a “critical sense” functionality into an AI model, based on the principle of the wisdom of the multitude. The model then behaves like a collective expert. Within the nebula of possible applications, it seems to me that the tracking of fake news on social networks, necessary for the preservation of a healthy digital lifestyle, figures prominently. All that remains for me to do is wish the start-up Xvaluator the best success!” Mr. Nicolas Curien, French Accademician, Accademy of Science (https://www.interviewfrancophone.net/nicolas-curien-interview-en-anglais). 

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More other categories have been proposed for the annual Excellency Awards of the European Summit of the Scientific and Innovation elites diaspora: 

Excellency Awards at the Category .

 

Excellency Awards for the most inspiring books in 2025 :

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The Book “Eloge du Dépassement” par Mr. Thomas Pesquet et Mr. Etienne Klein 

The Book “Si Einstein avait su” par le Prix Nobel, Mr. Alain Aspect

The Summit brings every year a tribute to the most inspiring « old » books : « La Psychology Consonantiste » by Stefan Odobleja, the European Father of Cybernetics (10 years before Norbert Wiener, « Cybernetics », 1948) who choose France, Paris and the French language and edition to publich his innovations ! 

(You can whatch the remarcable presentation of the importance of Odobleja innovations on BFM Business by the economiste Emmanuel Lechyppre and his team.) 

 

Excellency Awards at the Category : "Mix of Science and Art for Surprising Innovation!": 

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Mr. Julien Cohen, mathematician and classical pianist 

Mr. Daniel Pop, un explorateur interdisciplinaire, un voyageur entre sciences et arts qui transforme le corps, les idées et les cultures en une constellation vivante de créativité, de poésie et de mouvement

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Excellency Awards at the Category : Inspiring personnalities for innovation and shared value creation:

Mr. Patrick Aufort, President of Innovation Defense Agency 

Mr. Patrick Hetzel, députy and former Minister of Research and Innovation in France

Mr. Vassil Karaivanov, Chairman of the Management Board at Sofia Tech Park JSC

Mrs. Victoria Hernandez Valcarcel, globally recognized business executive, independent board member, and lecturer, with a distinguished career supporting the innovation

Mr. Patrick Duvaut, Vice President University Paris-Saclay, President Foundation University Paris-Saclay

Mr. Emmanuel Chiva, the new President of ONERA

Mr. Razvan Haritonovici, President MCI, organizer of the annual AI Forum together with the Romanian and the European Academy 

Mr. Sebastien Mandron, Worldline, member and Vice-President of C3D (Club des Directeurs de Développement Durable) 

Mr. Alexandre Bounouh, President of Institut Carnot and General Director of CEA-List

Mr. Alexandru Mironov and Mr. Sorin Repanovici, Co-founders of the Science and Science fiction Festival Atlantykron 

Mr. Patrice Waternaux, co-founder of HI-Team 

 

Excellency Awards at the Category : Inspiring scientific and innovation couples serving the humanity: 

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Mrs. Ghizlaine Amrani and Mr. Thanh-Long Huynh, co-founders of Quantcube technology 

Mrs. Crina Prunariu and Dorin Prunariu (the Romanian cosmonaute) the most inspiring aerospace engeneering couple

Mrs. Mariuca Talpes and Mr. Florin Talpes, co-founders Bitdefender

Mrs Lauren Sanchez Bezos and Mr. Jeff Bezos 

 

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Excellency Awards at the Category : Admirable and Inspiring international leaders, diplomates, mayors, ambassadors supporting innovation, cultural mutual collaborations and the Decision Making based on Consensus  

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H.E. Philippe Etienne, former Ambassador of France in United States

H.E. Datuk Eldeen Husaini Mohd Hashim, Ambassador of Malaysia

H.E. Radka Balabanova Ruleva, Ambassadrice of Bulgaria in France 

H.E. Arman Khachatryan, Ambassador of Armenia in France 

Mr. Axel Maugey, Professor at Sorbonne and McGill University

Mr. Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice 

Mr. Jean-Luc Moudenc, Mayor of Toulouse

Mr. Gabriel Codru Plesa, Mayor of Alba Iulia

Mr. Patrick Ollier, Président du Métropole du Grand Paris

Mr. David Lisnard, Président de l'AMF

Mr. Philippe Hercouet, Mayor of Lamballe – ArmorMrs. Danielle Girondin, President of “Génération II Citoyenneté Intégration et President of the Puissance de Femmes and Mr. Jean Michel Goyard, Rotary International ​​​​

 

 

Excellency Awards at the Category : Inspiring personnalities for supporting evolutions in the health and energy sector:

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Mr. Raed Arafat, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania

Dr. Mihaela Bustuchina Vlaicu Hôpitaux Universitaires Pitié Salpêtrière

Prof.  Adrian Petrusel, PhD, Acting Rector, University Babes – Bolyai, the only Romanian university to be included in the prestigious Shanghai ranking

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"We sincerely thank the organizers of the European Summit of Scientists and Innovators of the Diaspora for the honor of awarding us the 2025 Gala Excellence Prize. This distinction reaffirms our commitment to innovation, research, and international scientific cooperation. At Babeș-Bolyai University, we believe that excellence is built through dialogue, creativity, and responsibility. This award inspires us to continue our mission with even greater determination and openness."

Rector Adrian Petrusel, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

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Dr. Danielle Goldberg and Prof. James Goldberg MD MS PhD Academy Health USA Palmes Académiques France EURO – Mediterranean Medical Informatics and Telemedicine EU

Dr. Stefan Busnatu, Vice-Rector, University of Medcine Carol Davila 

 

​“Nous remercions sincèrement les organisateurs du Sommet Européen des Scientifiques et Innovateurs de la diaspora pour l’honneur de nous remettre le Prix d’Excellence du Gala 2025. Cette distinction confirme notre engagement envers l’innovation, la recherche et la coopération scientifique internationale. A l’Université Babes-Bolyai, nous croyons que l’excellence se construit par le dialogue, la créativité et la responsabilité. Ce Prix nous inspire à poursuivre notre mission avec encore plus de détermination et ouverture” 

Rector Adrian Petrusel de l’Université Babes-Bolyai, Cluj, Roumanie

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Excellency Awards at the Category : Inspiring personnalities for supporting evolutions in entrepreneurship, personal development, science, culture and arts

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Mrs. Elisabeth Bouchaud, Playwriter, actress, and physicist, Graduate of École Centrale Paris and holder of a PhD in Physics, General Director of Scènes Blanches (La Reine Blanche / Avignon-Reine Blanche / La Salle Blanche) 

Mr Christian Macelaru, Former Orchestra Director of Radio France in Paris 

Mrs. Magdalena Banach, journaliste polonaise à Paris, President of the Association of Foreign Press in Paris 

Mr. Ioan Plesca, President CEO of PRAETORIAN TRAJAN

Mr. Daniel Epure, entrepreneur, founder of Dep Construction 

Mrs. Julie Arduin, founder of « Mon Meilleur Avatar » 

Mr. Andras Spriet Academician, innovator 

Mr. Ovidiu Moisan, Hambar, Vama Veche 

Mr. Renault Favier, Gisors, Bee Bar Saint- Denis Le Ferment

Mr. Stefen Couder, Vocal Coach 

Mrs. Aude Legrand, Wine Master, Director of Chemin des Vignes Issy-les-Moulineaux

Mr. Seph Lawless, photographer 

Mr. Antoine Barret, “Antoine chante Brassens”

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