Hélène Duchêne, French Ambassador to the UK, will open the Night of Ideas 2024.
 
French-Canadian novelist Nancy Huston will say a few words on the theme of this year’s edition Fault Lines, inspired by her eponymous novel first published in 2006.
 
British writer and political commentator Rory Stewart will then say a few words on the same theme.

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As growing tensions challenge the multilateral order, diplomatic, scientific, industrial, and military rivalries escalate. Beyond the competition between states and their institutions, conflicting ideologies and new narratives are at stake. How can international cooperation face these geopolitical fault lines and play a key role in ensuring a stable future?
 
With:

• Sébastien Maillard, Journalist, Research Fellow at Chatham House, Special Advisor at the Jacques Delors Institute
• Djenabou Cissé, Defence and Security Expert, Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique
• Susan Coughtrie, Director, Foreign Policy Centre

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On 15 April 2019, Notre-Dame de Paris suffered the biggest blaze in its history causing a profound emotion felt around the world, beyond religions and beliefs. Why was everyone so deeply moved? With the cathedral’s reopening scheduled for 2024, this discussion will also address the paradoxes of heritage preservation, between tradition, adaptation and technological innovation. As an exceptionally complex restoration, the building site has become a testing ground for arts, as well as for digital data processing and visualisation.
 
With:

• Aline Magnien, Former director of the Research Laboratory for Historic Monuments, French Ministry of Culture
• Rodney Harrison, Professor in Heritage Studies and Director of the Centre for Critical Heritage Studies, University College London
• Rob Woodside, Estates Director, English Heritage

Bending the ethical rules of sports and science, transhumanism is the idea that human beings should be able to use technology to modify and enhance their capabilities beyond biological constraints. On the eve of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, let’s address the ethical issues around transhumanism in sports and science.
 
With:

• Apolline Taillandier, Political Theorist and Historian, University of Cambridge
• Cecilia Mascolo, Professor in Mobile Systems and Head of the Mobile Systems Research Laboratory, University of Cambridge
• Anders Sandberg, Neuroscientist and Research Fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute, University of Oxford

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Amid a technological revolution supposed to change the way we live, work, and interact with each other, researchers and lawmakers face a burning issue: is it possible to reap the benefits from artificial intelligence technologies without putting our society at risk?
 
With:

• Lionel Tarassenko, Professor in Engineering, President of Reuben College, University of Oxford
• Sebastien Krier, Policy Lead, Google DeepMind
• Melanie Garson, Cyber Policy, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBC)

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Against a fast-evolving geopolitical backdrop, sweeping technological breakthroughs are changing our understanding of modern warfare. As such, anticipating military risks – and avoiding them – has become increasingly complex. How can defense experts draw both on the history of warfare and contemporary conflicts to foresee the threats of tomorrow?
 
With:

• Alexandra de Hoop Schaeffer, Senior Vice President, Geostrategy, German Marshall Fund of the United States
• Laure de Roucy Rochegonde, Research Fellow at the Security Studies Center, Institut français des relations internationales (IFRI)
• Mats Berdal, Professor in Security & Development and Director of the Conflict, Security and Development Research Group, King’s College London

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In a more than ever inter-connected world, strategic misinformation reaches people – through social media and smartphones – in the most intimate parts of their life. From the war in Ukraine to the conflict in the Middle East, recent upheavals have renewed the circulation of doctored content and fake news online. This panel will address how disinformation sets up to influence the way geopolitical conflicts unfold on the international stage, manipulate public opinion, and weigh on the course of national elections. We’ll also look into the actions to tackle the expansion of fake news at a time when factually correct information is all the more needed.
 
With:

• Carl Miller, Founder, Centre for the Analysis of Social Media
• Charlotte Sector, Communications Manager, United Nations

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Green policies designed to tackle global warming have been accused by some of reinforcing existing inequalities, with underprivileged people bearing the cost of the green transition as a result. How can we equitably finance the fight against the climate crisis while taking urgent action?
 
With:

• Brendan Curran, Senior Policy Fellow, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science
• Emily Fry, Economist, Resolution Foundation
• Nathalie Berny, Researcher, Environmental Advocacy, Maison Française d’Oxford; Institut d’études politiques (Rennes)

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See the interior of the Notre-Dame Cathedral and relive its most glorious hours, from Henri IV’s wedding, Napoleon’s coronation, to the construction of its spire. Tracing back 850 years, from the groundwork in the 12th century to the tragic fire of 2019, participants will be able to experience the rich history of Notre-Dame up close, through digital tablets set in the Institute’s foyer, courtesy of Histovery.