Cultural Events
Cultural Events and Study Trips
You will encounter French culture through field trips, classes and on-site studies that make use of the rich resources of Paris and the surrounding area. Art History classes often meet on-site in churches and museums, and visits include some of the city's most famed monuments: the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Notre Dame de Paris, Sainte-Chapelle or Versailles.
The Bing cultural enrichment program offered by the Stanford Center in Paris and made possible thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Bing’s generosity, also represents a unique opportunity to discover the French culture. The theater and opera outings permit the students to get to know the most famous Parisian artistic scenes. As per the Bing trip, it is intended both as a cultural enrichment occasion and as a common social gathering for all the students. It represents a unique way to go beyond Paris, and discover the cultural and heritage richness of the various French regions. Destinations change every quarter and in the past have included well-known regions such as Normandy, Provence, or the Loire Valley, as well as key cities such as Bordeaux or Marseille.
Meeting People
The best way to meet locals and become more easily integrated in Parisian life is to get involved in the local scene. Past students have found it particularly rewarding to participate in dance, music or theater classes, cooking lessons, cinema clubs, or sporting activities. The Paris staff can help in finding the right activity for you!
The Paris program offers several academic opportunities for students to go beyond the limits of the Stanford Center proper. Options include interning in French companies, participating in lectures and on-site visits organized by museums and local institutions, or taking classes alongside French students at one of our partner universities. They all represent excellent ways to meet French people and develop both personal and professional relationships.
Particularly rewarding is the Artistic Partners project, put in place with our studio art partner school, which allows for meaningful interactions with the French students.
For several years, Stanford alumni in Paris, mostly French nationals, have offered to give of their time to our students. Some invite students to their homes in Paris, or in the country over the weekend, while others introduce students to their place of work or research. Students may consult the list of available mentors upon arrival in Paris, and select a mentor according to common interests. Students are also regularly invited to a wide range of business and networking events organized by the Stanford Club of France, an association for Stanford alumni living in France
City Life
Located on the Seine River, lined with booksellers and street artists, Paris is a compact, pedestrian-friendly city. A stroll through its various neighborhoods, called arrondissements, take you past small shops, elegant hotels, movie theaters, sidewalk cafés, art galleries, patisseries, boulangeries, and restaurants of every cuisine. From haute couture to second-hand bookstores, the city is home to an eclectic, energetic mix.
The formal lines of the city’s 18th-century and 19th-centuy architecture are softened by beautifully landscaped parks and squares. Paris is home to some of the world's most renowned museums—about 130 by one estimate—including the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, in addition to a lively theatrical and cinematic scene. For both its physical beauty and intellectual heritage, Paris has earned the name "City of Light."