First-year ISMIN (Ingénieur Systèmes Microélectronique et Informatique) students Léa Sarkis and Louis Dumas Augé participated in the Rencontres Économiques d’Aix-en-Provence. This provided an opportunity for them to broaden their perspectives, meet key economic stakeholders, and reflect on the socio-economic challenges of the contemporary world.
The Rencontres Économiques d’Aix-en-Provence is currently the largest free economic and social forum in Europe. This annual event brings together business leaders, researchers, institutional representatives, and political figures from around the world with one objective: to forge collective responses to the challenges of our time.
Léa and Louis took part in these meetings as part of a partnership with the Jeunesse(s) programme established by the event. They joined a cohort of 120 young people aged 18 to 30, benefiting from a dedicated space for expression with six Jeunesse(s) agoras and exclusive meetings with political, economic, and community decision-makers.
Developing new compasses
The 2026 edition of the Rencontres Économiques was themed “Navigating a world without landmarks.” It brought together 8,700 participants and nearly 400 high-level figures from all backgrounds. In total, 51 countries were represented.
The sessions and agoras—broadcast live online—made it possible to put knowledge and expertise into perspective to develop new compasses in the face of uncertainty and restore meaning to collective action.
For Louis, “the Rencontres Économiques d’Aix was an enriching experience. The main benefit is being with a hundred young people from various backgrounds (economics, political science, etc.), which leads to high-quality exchanges. Between the conferences and discussions with political decision-makers and CAC40 executives, the programme is extensive. A sense of community within the cohort also develops.”
Students in the Jeunesse(s) cohort thus have the opportunity to build bridges between different fields of study and take their place in the reflections that will shape their future.
