Emmanuel Kattan, academic, novelist, current Director of Columbia University’s Alliance Program, named Knight in the French National Order of Merit [fr]

Born in Montreal in 1968, Emmanuel Kattan is an academic, novelist and program director for several international organizations. His extensive experience in research, publishing, communications and the management of various organizations, in America and Europe, highlight the richness of his background.

After a Bachelor’s and then a Master’s degree in philosophy at the Université de Montréal, Mr. Kattan obtained a "PPE" (Philosophy, Political Science and Economics) degree at Oxford as a Rhodes scholarship holder in 1992. His doctorate in political philosophy, entitled "Le devoir de mémoire" ("The Duty of Memory"), was particularly well received by French-speaking academics. Presented in 1999, this thesis, directed by the philosopher Vincent Descombes at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS-Paris), was awarded the congratulations of the jury and was published by Presses universitaires de France (Penser le devoir de mémoire, 2002).

After completing his studies, Mr. Kattan went into political communications. From 1995 to 2001, he was Public Affairs Attaché at the Délégation générale du Québec in London. This institution, representing the Quebec government in the UK, Ireland and the Nordic countries, strives to develop opportunities and partnerships for Quebec companies and institutions wishing to set up in the region, or already established there. He is responsible for the delegation’s public affairs strategy, organizes cultural events and conferences, and develops relations with the academic world and the media.

From 2001 to 2006, Mr. Kattan was entrusted with even greater communicative responsibilities, when he was chosen as Advisor to the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, in London. The mission of this institution is to facilitate cooperation between its member states in their pursuit of economic development, peace and democracy. In this role, Mr. Kattan writes the Secretary-General’s speeches and directs the Commonwealth’s communications strategy and media relations.

Following this experience, Mr. Kattan was appointed Director of Communications for the High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations at the United Nations, an organization working for international action against fundamentalism, through cooperation and intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. Mr. Kattan’s responsibilities include writing speeches and opinion pieces for the High Representative and the Secretary General of the United Nations, and establishing collaborations with major media outlets, including the New York Times, to organize public debates.

Following this work in political communications, Emmanuel Kattan worked on the British Council’s activities in the United States, initially as Director of Partnerships (2010-2013). In particular, he conceived and directed the "Our Shared Future" project, an initiative to promote American and European research networks. During these years, he also participated in the creation of the "Our Shared Past" project, aimed at developing the teaching of world history in both Europe and the United States. Then, as Director of the British Council’s New York office (2013-2017), Mr. Kattan worked on the development of academic and cultural projects such as coalitions of international researchers ("Bridging Voices" project), or literary events in partnership with the New York Public Library ("Shakespeare Lives" project).

In addition to his executive activities, Emmanuel Kattan is also a novelist. His first story, Nous seuls, published in 2008 and later translated into English as Love Alone (2011), marked the start of a rich literary period punctuated by the release of a series of novels, including Les Lignes de désir (2012), Le Portrait de la reine (2013), and L’attrapeur d’âmes (2019). Between writing and cultural programs, Mr. Kattan has initiated numerous projects aimed at developing academic, literary and artistic productions between the United States and Europe.

Finally, as Director of the Alliance Program since September 2017, Emmanuel Kattan is responsible for the partnership between four major higher education institutions: Columbia University, École Polytechnique, Sciences Po and Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne. He has been instrumental in the strategic development of this program, which has been existing for 20 years, and includes the prestigious "dual BA", uniting Sciences Po and Columbia University, which graduates almost 120 students a year. Emmanuel Kattan helped create new partnerships, including the Global Dual Degree in Engineering between Ecole Polytechnique and Columbia, which will be launched in September.

He also works to raise funds to support the Alliance program, with an endowment fund that currently stands at around $4 million. This unique program of transatlantic academic collaboration is a major platform for Franco-American academic debate. In its 20 years of existence, nearly 500 doctoral students and several hundred professors and researchers have crossed the Atlantic to conduct their research at an Alliance partner institution. Over 1,500 seminars have been held in Paris and New York. As head of the program, Emmanuel Kattan actively supports research and entrepreneurship among young people. Indeed, the Alliance program enables the creation of joint research projects on subjects that require international mobilization, such as artificial intelligence or climate issues, which were at the heart of the ceremony on March 13, 2023, celebrating the program’s 20th anniversary. This position, which contributes to maintaining Franco-American relations, is the crowning achievement of Mr. Kattan’s brilliant career.

The medal was presented by Patrick Pagni, President of the American Society of the French Order of Merit (ASFOM).

You can find all the pictures of the event here.