BNP Paribas announces a 1 m€ gift to IHES and is the first to contribute to the Director’s Chair

Press release – 20 May 2016

BNP Paribas wanted to support French science by choosing to become one of the first donors of the third fundraising campaign at IHES. “With 7 Fields medallists among the 10 permanent professors that joined IHES since its foundation, the Institute attracts some of the most renowned researchers in the world. For a big group such as BNP Paribas, which applies advanced mathematics day in and day out in order to manage its risks and the ones of its clients, it is important to support this scientific excellence” said Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, the BNP Paribas CEO.

This gift to the IHES endowment will reinforce its independence, an essential point to allow the success of the institute as a central player in academic research. Marwan Lahoud, the IHES President, explains that “The director plays a key role, since he is in charge at the same time of the scientific strategy, of managing the institute and of animating its international development”. “It is of fundamental importance to secure the funding of this role, essential to the future of IHES through a specific fund, and I thank BNP Paribas for being its first contributor.”

As IHES prepares to launch a third international fundraising campaign, BNP Paribas’ commitment once again proves the importance of IHES’s scientific mission for French companies. “The latter contributed to 30% of the last IHES fundraising campaign. We want to reinforce their participation in the Institute’s ambitious projects and to the importance of our research” highlights Emmanuel Ullmo, the IHES Director.

Jean-Laurent Bonnafé joins the Campaign Committee of IHES whose presidents are Philippe Camus and André Lévy-Lang.