The American University of Paris - Miscellaneous

Career Development Program

Sara Wynn — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 12:58:27 +0000

The ACE Career Development Program helps students develop career readiness to facilitate success in their professional lives and to foster lifelong career management.

Through the Global Professional Skills (GPS) Certificate and additional career workshops which are presented by the ACE Center and open to all undergraduate students, the program provides a framework for students to explore opportunities, build confidence in their competencies and advance their career and professional development.

Each activity is aligned with the Career Readiness Competencies from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) which are used by many top universities to guide students in career development.

Perseverance and the Power of Untold Stories

Sara Wynn — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 11:55:02 +0000

When Robin moved to Paris in 2016 to pursue a master’s degree at The American University of Paris, she didn’t do so for love or an Instagrammable version of expat life.

She came with a clear goal: to create a life outside of the “American way.” What she found in Paris would be exactly that, but even more transformative than she could have imagined. After being diagnosed with breast cancer twice in three years, on September 16, 2025 she shares her story with us in a powerful new memoir about resilience and identity.

Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Robin attended Howard University on a full scholarship. Self-described as a “doer,” Robin describes her time at Howard as eye opening —confessing that she lost her scholarship during her freshman year due to over-socializing, or in other words, partying too much.

“My high school graduating class was about 10 people, and I’m an extrovert.” She offers with a shrug. The lesson learned was that she needed to manage her time better, and she’s glad to have learned this lesson early, while she was still able to move home, regroup, and continue forward.

By the time she started looking into life in Paris in 2015, Robin was already well established in her career as a journalist and had even won an Emmy for her work on a special about the “Miracle on the Hudson” with Dateline NBC. Even with an Emmy, starting a life in Paris wasn’t easy. The search for a job that would sponsor her visa turned up nothing.

“I’d been working in my field for ten years and couldn’t find a job abroad that would sponsor me,” she explained. “So I looked up other ways people made the move and found a blog by (fellow alumna) Anne Ditmeyer G’11 that mentioned �̾��Ƶ.” This led her to looking at the University’s website for an alumni profile of another woman who had come to Paris in her 30s, and she came across Ruby Veridiano G’15. “I reached out to her, and she encouraged me to apply. I thought maybe I could leverage a master’s degree into a permanent life abroad.”

She thought right.

Her first two years in Paris were busy with coursework and full of “rich conversations in class that challenged my assumptions and gave me cultural context I hadn’t considered before.”

Outside the classroom, Robin juggled babysitting, tutoring, and freelance gigs to make ends meet. “Grad school in your 30s is different,” she laughed. “At Howard, I was idealistic and focused on building my career. At �̾��Ƶ, I was focused on survival. It’s humbling but it also makes you very resourceful.”

After graduating from �̾��Ƶ’s MA in Global Communications (MAGC) program, Robin obtained a job offer and felt herself thriving in her adopted city. “Everything was going great. I’d just started a new job, I went to Dîner en Blanc, I saw Serena Williams play at Roland Garros. It was, truly, the best weekend of my life.”

In a film-like turn of events, the following Monday her doctor found a lump that turned out to be breast cancer. The diagnosis would change her life.

Her forthcoming memoir, Surviving Paris: A Memoir of Healing in the City of Light, begins with this mind-bending contrast; the height of joy undercut by an unexpected health crisis. But her story is not only about illness. It’s about facing vulnerability without being fluent in the native language and discovering community in unlikely places.

Though Robin had completed her studies, she credits �̾��Ƶ for playing a crucial role in supporting her through that time. “Thankfully, I still had the private insurance �̾��Ƶ required us to get, and the University’s health services really helped me navigate what came next,” she shared. “I wasn’t a student anymore, but the �̾��Ƶ network still held me up.”

Always a writer, Robin described a childhood of writing short stories and poems with aspirations of one day writing a book. The one thing she never counted on was the topic. Despite the subject material, Robin believes her book is accessible and a good story for many people, not only cancer survivors.

Her story disrupts the dominant narrative found in many books about life in Paris. “So many books about moving to Paris are about falling in love, having French children, and dealing with funny bureaucratic mishaps,” she said with a smile. “But I couldn’t find any stories about people like me; Black women, in their 30s, building new lives and facing major health issues abroad.”

The process wasn’t easy. Starting the book during the first remission, she stopped the project believing that no one would be interested in her cancer story. It wasn’t until her second diagnosis when she decided this was a story that must be told.

But completing it meant diving back into the emotional weight of illness. For Robin, the emotional labor of writing went beyond simply recounting medical details. As a Black woman telling a deeply personal story, she was doing something rarely seen in mainstream publishing. “There’s a particular kind of vulnerability involved in putting this out there, especially when so few stories like mine have been told.”

In writing her story, Robin was not only documenting a life-altering experience, but she also claimed space in a literary landscape that too often leaves out Black women. Writing a memoir that admits vulnerability when the status quo is to pretend like everything is fine is an act of resistance. It is insisting that stories of Black womanhood abroad not only exist but deserve to be told in full.

“I kept journals throughout, but actually writing the book required me to revisit the hardest moments of my life,” she said. “My editor and beta readers kept encouraging me to go deeper, to let go of the journalist’s instinct to hold emotion at arm’s length.”

Her �̾��Ƶ education played a meaningful role in this shift from journalism to personal narrative. Though she had been working in media long before attending the MAGC program, Robin says the coursework and the international context helped her expand her perspective. “The development communications class with Professor Tanya Elder really stuck with me. Concepts like top-down versus bottom-up communication stayed with me long after.”

Robin’s story is a reminder that life in Paris is not always romantic. But it can be transformative.

“There’s a saying, ‘Paris is always a good idea.’ I agree, but I also think people need to come with their eyes open. Things will be harder than you expect. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.”

In 2023, Robin became a French citizen, hitting a milestone that cemented her sense of home in the city that once felt so uncertain.

Now that Surviving Paris is on the verge of release (coming in early September), Robin is already looking to the future. She’s working on a children’s book and a horror novel set in Normandy. She mentioned exploring ideas for screenplays. “This book unlocked something in me,” she said of her upcoming projects.

Asked what she’d tell prospective �̾��Ƶ students considering a move to Paris, she didn't hesitate. “Do it. Learn as much French as you can, brace yourself for challenges, and know that what you’re building here might just change your life.”

After surviving breast cancer twice, Robin Allison Davis G'17 is releasing her debut memoir about her experience.

Alumna

Miscellaneous

Robin Allison Davis G’17 on her book "Surviving Paris: A Memoir of Healing in the City of Light"

Taxe d’Apprentissage

Sara Wynn — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 09:50:32 +0000

Invest in the future with the American University of Paris

Since 1962, �̾��Ƶ has provided a global liberal arts education in the heart of Paris to more than 23,000 students from around the world. Through the Taxe d’Apprentissage program, �̾��Ƶ will receive additional funds to support classroom equipment and materials, curriculum development, and essential career preparation and job placement support for current students.

Thanks to your taxe d’apprentissage contribution:

You contribute to educational innovation: teaching materials, digital tools, and specialized resources contribute to the excellence of the curriculum and prepare students for life beyond the classroom.
You help in developing skills in line with business expectations
You support the transformation of the University campus

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Taxe d'Apprentissage?

The taxe d’apprentissage is a mandatory contribution that French companies must pay to support vocational and professional education. Amounting to 0.68% of a company’s gross payroll (0.44% in Alsace-Moselle), it is split into two parts: 87% is automatically allocated to apprenticeship training centers via France Compétences, while the remaining 13%—known as the solde—can be directed by the company to eligible higher education institutions that offer professional training. Since 2023, companies must allocate this portion through the government platform SOLTéA. The tax helps strengthen ties between education and the labor market by funding programs that enhance students’ employability.

Is there a deadline to donate?

What is SOLTéA?

From the micro to the macro

Sara Wynn — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 08:20:07 +0000

Professor Zed Zhipeng Gao is the kind of teacher that exemplifies the outward looking, culturally conscious spirit of The American University of Paris. Since his arrival in 2021, he has taught courses on social psychology, personality psychology, political psychology, race and immigration, and more recently, qualitative methods.

Gao received his MA and PhD degrees in Toronto, at York University, an experience he credits as pivotal in his evolution to focus on intercultural issues. Trained first and foremost in theoretical psychology, a field he describes as “the interface between philosophy and psychology,” he later branched out into sociology, anthropology and history. This overlap has allowed him to specialize in the psychological implications of immigration, communism, national and other forms of identity, and geo-politics in the age of globalization.

This year, building on his reputation as a specialist in the history of psychology, Gao is co-organizing the Three Societies Meeting with �̾��Ƶ Associate Professor Sharman Levinson. This global conference, hosted by �̾��Ƶ in July 2025, brings together ESHHS—European Society for the History of the Human Sciences; CHEIRON—International Society for the History of the Social and Behavioral Sciences; and SHP—Society for the History of Psychology (Division 26 of the American Psychological Association).

Three chapters in a life dedicated to research and teaching

Gao’s recent research is taking him back to his roots in theoretical psychology. “This is kind of a transitioning point for me,” he explains. “I have something of a unique trajectory in the sense that I moved from one area to another, but it could be broken down into three stages.”

During his training with York University, his landmark work as a doctoral researcher focused on the production of psychological knowledge in the context of China’s communist movement. This experience helped him frame psychology, and the humanities at large, as fundamentally intersectional, rooted in history and driven by geo-political change.

In the second chapter of his career, Gao turned to study issues of immigration and identity and their political implications. As a multicultural individual himself, these issues touch upon the personal as well as the professional. With over 100 nationalities represented on campus, Gao and his students always find common ground when discussing issues of multiculturalism. “I think a lot about how people identify with one or more countries, ethnicities, or cultures when they have been moving around. We have a lot of international students who are very curious, very well-travelled, some with multiple passports in their pocket, and as a result many feel strongly about this.”

Coming full circle, Gao's focus has now returned to theoretical psychology. He co-edited two special issues of the journals Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science and Theory & Psychology, both focused on the psychology of de-globalization, and also co-edited a volume with his department colleague Associate Professor Maria Medved dedicated to Cultural Politics in Indigenous Psychology (Global Perspectives on Cultural Politics in Indigenous Psychology, Palgrave Macmillan Cham, 2025). In line with his general trajectory that examines psychology from a macro perspective, this recent research explores how indigenous psychology challenges the perceived universality of Western psychology, investigating methods and practices that are specific to local communities. It is this light that Gao is working to deconstruct the theoretical foundations of psychological science by shedding light on the stark differences between contextualist and globalist approaches in the field.

Roundtable seminars to help students flourish intellectually at �̾��Ƶ

Given the nature of his work, Gao could not have found a better place to teach. “My research is embedded in the international, multicultural context of �̾��Ƶ. My teaching methods are very much aligned with the liberal arts model, and this is facilitated by our unique campus culture. Small classes that might have 15 to 18 students make for a very student-centric approach.”

�̾��Ƶ’s intimate, discussion-based classrooms are a perfect fit for Gao. Known on and off campus for his seminar-style roundtables, he understands the importance of nurturing a strong teacher-student connection and creating a safe space to help students express themselves. “I know every student by name, where they are from, what they said last semester. They want to learn and share useful perspectives, but not everyone feels ready to talk to the whole class right off the bat. You want to make sure each student feels supported rather than pressured into discussion.”

As one student put it: “Your class has really helped me be able to voice my opinions, especially with my peers. We would even sometimes have little hang outs after your class where we would talk about the topic and sometimes even get into heated arguments.”

At the heart of Zed Gao’s teaching method is a fundamental tenet of the liberal arts model. “Of course, we want our students to join the labor force with rewarding jobs, but that is only one of our educational goals. Another vital goal is to promote critical thinking and interdisciplinary training, to give our students the tools to participate in social, cultural, and political life.” This twin focus on both professional and personal growth is a cornerstone of �̾��Ƶ’s mission to deliver a fully rounded educational experience. “This is how we help our students find a sense of direction and purpose in their own life.”

Publications

Zed Zhipeng Gao’s publications can be found in Review of General Psychology, Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Social Anthropology, Narrative Inquiry, History of Psychology, History of Science.

When Professor Zed Zhipeng Gao sits down to a roundtable with his students, he engages every voice in a rich, multidisciplinary conversation.

Faculty

Miscellaneous

Prof. Zed Zhipeng Gao explores psychology in the age of globalization

Conference Program and Abstracts

Sara Wynn — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 11:47:44 +0000

Download the Program

Download Book of Abstracts

The Common Read

Sara Wynn — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 12:49:12 +0000

All new degree-seeking students are eligible to participate in �̾��Ƶ’s Common Read.

This is a program that aims to foster critical thinking, imagination and debate in and around our Liberal Arts-based community.

On arrival, students will be presented with a book to read and, as the semester progresses, invited to attend a rich program of informal discussions, seminars and talks by guest speakers. The book will also be used by Student Advisors and Mentors as part of First Year Success workshops. Instructors might also use the book in their First Year academic classes.

For the 2025-2026 Academic year, the Common Read book is Encounter on the Seine (2024), a volume of essays by the African American writer and activist James Baldwin (1924-1987). Baldwin’s writing reflects on race, sexuality and what it means, as he did, to arrive in France as a foreigner to live and work.

You’ll be given your own copy of Encounter on the Seine at the Welcome Day when you arrive in Paris. If you’re interested in finding about more about James Baldwin, the Poetry Foundation obituary is a helpful starting point, as is Raoul Peck’s documentary I Am Not Your Negro (2016), which can be found on many streaming platforms, including Netflix. You might also be interested in reading one of Baldwin’s novels: Giovanni’s Room (1956) would be an excellent first book to read.

Yesterday’s Stories, Tomorrow’s Tools

Sara Wynn — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 13:07:53 +0000

As artificial intelligence transforms the future of knowledge, work, and communication, students at �̾��Ƶ are harnessing it to reshape the past. Last semester, Assistant Professor of Law and Society Mariana Dias Paes guided students in her World History from 1500 course in using state-of-the-art digital AI tools to transcribe and analyze archival documents, bring them into public discourse, and contribute to a more inclusive understanding of history.

Dias Paes, a legal historian specializing in former Portuguese colonies, brings deep expertise in standard preservation practices. Before joining �̾��Ƶ last fall, she served as a research fellow for the Max Planck Institute for European Legal History in Germany, working in African and Portuguese archives to digitize court records. She observed that even the best-resourced institutions struggle to make their collections accessible. At Portugal’s national archive, Torre do Tombo, she recalls, “they had documents from the 18th and 19th centuries and had never even opened the boxes… they always need to prioritize.”

When she discovered the Citizen Archivist program of the United States National Archives, Dias Paes saw a meaningful opportunity for students to be part of the solution. The initiative invites the public to help make historical documents more accessible by transcribing and tagging them with searchable metadata.

She also recognized a chance to connect the project to the broader conversation unfolding across campuses and workplaces about AI, moving beyond a binary choice of whether to adopt it towards how to engage with it ethically and impactfully.

“I don't think that prohibiting is the way to go,” she says, noting that students born in the digital world don’t always know how tools like Google and ChatGPT work. “The best thing to do is explain how it works and show them legitimate ways to use it.”

Dias Paes guided students in using Transkribus, a comprehensive platform developed by a consortium of European universities that supports the digitization, text recognition, transcription, and searchability of historical records. It greatly accelerates transcription—Dias Paes notes that the 70 court cases that consumed much of her PhD could now be processed in about a day—yet the process is far from automatic: users must train the machine learning-powered tool to recognize each unique handwriting. Once trained, “it allows us to read many more documents to produce a book or an article.”

Students say the experience shifted their perspective on AI. Raneem Grira ’26 shared that she generally feels strongly against its use, “particularly in history due to how easily it can be manipulated.” But she noted that Transkribus “did not have that element of easy misuse, as it was more of a practical tool—it works alongside you. You are still doing the analytical process.”

Students selected documents relevant to the course’s pre-19th-century timeline, such as US veteran registers. Many drew from the Archives’ curated “missions”—dozens of special-interest topics ranging from the Nuremberg trials and pirates to First Lady Bess Truman’s recipes and women in space. Some discovered surprising finds, including the contract between the US and France for the sale of Louisiana, and the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the war between the US and Mexico. Other artifacts—such as slavery records—are more challenging to engage with, yet offer vital and practical insights into contemporary issues like citizenship and immigration.

For Dias Paes, every document presents an opportunity to talk about inclusivity and illuminate the experiences of historically marginalized groups. She notes that some archives “are not considered priorities for certain reasons. So it's important work of historians to take one step back.” Cultural bias also plays a role, as many AI tools–including Transkribus and ChatGPT– are better in English. “You find things in English easier. So we also had conversations about inequalities within knowledge production.”

Dias Paes says the project helps students understand the role of historians, countering the common impression that “they just read books.” Aakash Jayam, a visiting student from the University of Southern California, shared: “I’m grateful to contribute to the effort to digitize documents that might otherwise be lost to history. Transkribus is helping the academics of the future access the information of the past.” Grira, a double major in Environmental Data Science and Middle Eastern Pluralities, noted that parts of her studies benefited from the assignment. “I struggled with this assignment, but recognized it was integral to understanding the work historians go through to interpret primary sources… I strangely think it is one of the most important things any individual interested in understanding historians should do.”

Dias Paes plans to bring the project into her Latin American History course this fall and continue engaging students in the transformation–and democratization–of knowledge. “It’s an enormous revolution,” she says.

�̾��Ƶ Professor Mariana Dias Paes guides �̾��Ƶ students in using AI to transcribe historical documents and broaden access to the past.

Student & Faculty Collaboration

Miscellaneous

�̾��Ƶ Students Use AI to Transform History

Provost Newsletter Archive

Sara Wynn — Wed, 28 May 2025 08:51:43 +0000

Getting to Paris

Lisa Palazzolo — Mon, 26 May 2025 09:37:37 +0000

Indicating your interest and confirming your participation

If you are interested in the Paris Scholars Program as a pathway to transfer to GW in your sophomore year, please let GW know by April 10, 2025. You can authorize GW to release your application information directly to �̾��Ƶ; there is no further application or application fee. The instructions to indicate your interest are located in your GW Declaration of Intent information from GW. Remember this is an indication of your interest and not a binding confirmation of participation in the Paris Scholars Program.

We will send you instructions on how to confirm your participation with �̾��Ƶ after you have indicated your interest with GW. The deadline to confirm your participation with �̾��Ƶ is May 1, 2025. Although space is limited in the Paris Scholars Program, expressions of interest received after May 1 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Once �̾��Ƶ receives your information, you will begin receiving pre-arrival information on housing, roommates, confirming your enrollment, life in Paris, payment plans, everything you need to prepare for your study abroad in France.

�̾��Ƶ has over 60 years of experience working with the families of students who are coming to live and study in Paris from the US and other countries and will do everything possible to make the process fast, efficient and as comfortable as possible.

Preparing for arrival

Once you confirm your attendance at �̾��Ƶ, your admissions counselor will be there to guide and support you through the pre-arrival process. We are accustomed to working with students from around the world and are prepared to support you as you plan your arrival in Paris. The Move-in Date for visiting students is August 22, 2025.

France is one of the most popular destinations in the world for study abroad. �̾��Ƶ will provide the documents and explain the process required to obtain your student visa. Citizens of the European Union do not require a visa to study in France at �̾��Ƶ.

Please know that federal regulations prohibit �̾��Ƶ from administering US federal loans (Subsidized/Unsubsidized or PLUS loans) for any student using this program during the time spent at �̾��Ƶ. This will NOT affect any loan eligibility in the future at GW, primarily because of its US location. We have verified this with The Foreign Schools Team with the Department of Education. US citizens and permanent residents who qualify may still apply for a private Sallie Mae Smart Option Loan for all legitimate educational and living expenses.

A Note for Families

We realize that the thought of sending your child to live and study in a foreign city can be daunting, but we’d like to reassure you that �̾��Ƶ offers support services to make the transition as smooth as possible. From academic advising to guidance counseling, tutoring and health services, your students will have access to a number of resources.

At �̾��Ƶ, we understand family members are an essential part of their student's journey, even after they have ventured far from home. As your on-campus partner, our Parent and Family Relations Office serves as your connection to our campus in the 7th arrondissement. We foster this partnership through a variety of communications and international events and always look forward to welcoming you to our little corner of Paris.

We also welcome parents and families of incoming students to discover the University and campus life through �̾��Ƶ Family Orientation. Through a series of virtual and in-person events, our faculty and staff will guide you through important topics and welcome you into our global community.

Preparing for Reed

Lisa Palazzolo — Mon, 26 May 2025 09:36:54 +0000

Preparing for Reed while in Paris

During your year at �̾��Ƶ will choose courses across a wide range of subjects. Your �̾��Ƶ courses fulfill GW general education requirements and will transfer when you continue at GW for the start of your sophomore year. For example, taking four 4-credit courses each semester at �̾��Ƶ you will earn 32 transferrable semester credits that convey to GW. Below you will find more specific details on GW transfer recommendations and examples of �̾��Ƶ courses you may choose.

Your First Year Curriculum

You will enroll in four 4-credit courses in each of both semesters during your first year at �̾��Ƶ, earning 32 semester credits. GW endorses the �̾��Ƶ courses you will be offered, so you are assured that your �̾��Ƶ credits will transfer and fulfill equivalent coursework in the GW General Education Curriculum or GW elective credit.

�̾��Ƶ offers a large selection of courses that will fulfill GW transfer recommendations. In the Paris Scholars Program you may choose the unique opportunity to explore several courses that incorporate Paris, France or Europe into the curriculum across a wide range of disciplines: history, political science, business, art history, and social sciences for example. And of course you may choose to build French language skills, or choose among several other languages offered at �̾��Ƶ.

Paris Scholar Program students will pre-register for courses online during the summer and prior to arrival. �̾��Ƶ will contact you about this process in May or June.

Transfering to GW

Following your year at �̾��Ƶ in the Paris Scholars Program, GW will automatically admit students who meet the following conditions:

Completion of 32 transferable semester units in the program.
A first-year cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, with no individual grade below C.
Completion of at least two �̾��Ƶ courses fulfilling GW’s general education requirements.

Your advisor at registration in the Paris Scholars Program will ensure that you have access to sufficient courses to exceed this requirement.

Your �̾��Ƶ academic advisor will be familiar with the conditions of your intended transfer to GW through the Paris Scholars Program.

The American University of Paris - Miscellaneous

Career Development Program

Perseverance and the Power of Untold Stories

Related Links

Taxe d’Apprentissage

Invest in the future with the American University of Paris

Frequently Asked Questions

From the micro to the macro

Related Links

Three chapters in a life dedicated to research and teaching

Roundtable seminars to help students flourish intellectually at �̾��Ƶ

Publications

Conference Program and Abstracts

Related Links

Download the Program

Download Book of Abstracts

The Common Read

Yesterday’s Stories, Tomorrow’s Tools

Related Links

Provost Newsletter Archive

Please find the Provost Newsletter archive below:

Getting to Paris

Indicating your interest and confirming your participation

Preparing for arrival

A Note for Families

Continue Exploring

Explore More Content

Learn More

Preparing for Reed

Preparing for Reed while in Paris

Your First Year Curriculum

Transfering to GW

Continue Exploring

Explore More Content

Learn More

The American University of Paris - Miscellaneous

Career Development Program

Perseverance and the Power of Untold Stories

Related Links

Taxe d’Apprentissage

Invest in the future with the American University of Paris

Frequently Asked Questions

From the micro to the macro

Related Links

Three chapters in a life dedicated to research and teaching

Roundtable seminars to help students flourish intellectually at �̾�����Ƶ

Publications

Conference Program and Abstracts

Related Links

Download the Program

Download Book of Abstracts

The Common Read

Yesterday’s Stories, Tomorrow’s Tools

Related Links

Provost Newsletter Archive

Please find the Provost Newsletter archive below:

Getting to Paris

Indicating your interest and confirming your participation

Preparing for arrival

A Note for Families

Continue Exploring

Explore More Content

Learn More

Preparing for Reed

Preparing for Reed while in Paris

Your First Year Curriculum

Transfering to GW

Continue Exploring

Explore More Content

Learn More

Roundtable seminars to help students flourish intellectually at �̾��Ƶ