The Alliance Internationale is the association for former residents of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris (CIUP). Dedicated to keeping the memory of the CIUP alive, the association’s purpose is to allow residents to preserve and develop friendships beyond their stay in Paris at the Cité internationale, with access to a network of thousands of former residents from around the globe.
The association’s goals reflect the principles of the Cité internationale of respect and openness. Therefore, its main objectives are :
- to develop an international and multidisciplinary network, uniting former residents from every house at the CIUP.
- to encourage exchanges between its members by organizing intellectual, cultural, casual and professional events.
- to encourage the intergenerational solidarity between former and current residents of the Cité internationale.
- to promote the image of the Cité internationale beyond French borders, from within its network.
Since 2009, the Alliance Internationale has also been open to the Friends of the Cité internationale, who are tied to the institution and who also wish to contribute to the promotion of the openness and respect of the Cité internationale.
In order to reach its goals, the Alliance Internationale offers many services to its members: career entry advice and counseling, proofreading of theses and dissertations in French…
For members of the association and current residents of the Cité internationale there are also events organized on a regular basis at the CIUP.
Download the association’s statutes
History of the Alliance Internationale
The history of the Alliance Internationale is directly linked to that of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris (CIUP). As early as 1932, the first residents of the CIUP were already planning its creation but it was in 1948 that the Alliance Internationale saw its first statutes approved. This new association responded to the needs of young former residents of that time, who were spread out in all four corners of the world, to renew and maintain contact with each other and to develop a spirit of solidarity amongst them. The success of this ambitious project was achieved thanks to the personal and official support of one of the founding fathers of the Cité internationale, André Honnorat. It was also achieved thanks to the courage and pugnacity of his secretary, Jeanne Thomas, who ran the association on a voluntary basis until her death.
1950’s : the association carries out its first efforts for cultural activities and community work. Despite a small budget, it brought its support to the young post-war generation, who was having material and accommodation difficulties. The notion of solidarity that is so important to the Alliance Internationale is thus fully realized.
1960’s : the Alliance Internationale continued to encourage direct communication with the residents of each House and Foundation in order to increase awareness and cooperation on human rights issues. The association developed travel scholarships and also helped students find internships. At the same time, it participated every year in the organization of the famous « Garden Party », the annual celebration at the Cité. The steps taken by the presidencies of Daniel Pépy and Jean Vaujour lead to the state approval of the association, written in an official decree on September 13th, 1968.
1970’s : the main activities of the association consist of organizing artistic events, dinner-debates and round table discussions. The Alliance continues developing appealing and efficient communication tools: newsletters and directories.
1980’s – 1990’s : the association, still run by volunteers, slowly modernizes itself by going digital. In order to promote interaction and interest in French culture and language, it organizes numerous trips in France and abroad. The developments in the association are highlighted by the reinforcement and development of a proofreading service and also participation in the cultural programs offered by the Houses and Foundations of the CIUP.
2000’s :fully aware of the possibilities and challenges of new technologies, the association starts to digitalize its date and launches a new high performance version of its first website in 2007, which includes online directory of more than 2,000 contact. The website guarantees easy access to all of its members, no matter where they may be in the world or what hardware they are using to connect.