Fondation Inalco

Mission & Vision

Fondation Inalco is a public-interest foundation supporting the development and global outreach of Inalco – the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations, a unique French higher education and research institution founded in 1795, in the wake of the French Revolution, as part of a broader effort to open France to the languages and cultures of the world.

A renowned university located in Paris, welcoming 9,000 students from more than 120 nationalities, Inalco teaches 106 languages and studies over 400, many of which are rare or endangered. It is home to 14 research departments dedicated to area studies and language sciences and has served as a global hub for linguistic and cultural exchange for over two centuries.

Inalco’s core mission is to foster dialogue between languages, societies, and academic traditions. It offers students and researchers the tools to engage critically and constructively with today’s global challenges – through language, history, and cultural understanding.

To support this mission, Fondation Inalco focuses on:

• Diversifying funding to sustain long-term academic development,
• Incubating projects that respond to emerging educational and research needs,
• Strengthening Inalco’s international visibility and partnerships.

By supporting Fondation Inalco, donors contribute to training globally engaged students and scholars who bring deep, contextual knowledge of the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

Actions Led

Fondation Inalco carries out its work in three key areas:

Education
Fondation Inalco supports academic excellence by enhancing student learning experience and career opportunities. It funds scholarships and awards to recognize outstanding achievements, promotes student mobility and immersion programs to foster linguistic and cultural expertise.

It also encourages innovative teaching methods, including digital learning and hybrid courses.

Research
The foundation strengthens Inalco’s leadership in area studies, both from a historic and contemporary perspective, by supporting research projects, academic chairs, and interdisciplinary collaborations.

It also prioritizes the preservation and study of rare and endangered languages, working with academic institutions and museums worldwide. By funding pioneering research, it contributes to a deeper understanding of global societies, histories, and linguistic diversity.

Society
Beyond academia, Fondation Inalco plays a key role in preserving cultural heritage and fostering intercultural dialogue by promoting Inalco’s unique position in the field.

The foundation is also committed to protecting endangered knowledge and supporting scholars at risk by welcoming and supporting scholars and students hindered in their academic work, ensuring that knowledge, cultures, and intellectual contributions are safeguarded for future generations.

Projects that U.S. Donors Can Support

Supporting Fondation Inalco means investing in academic excellence and cross-cultural understanding that benefits students, researchers, and communities around the world.

Donor support helps us:

• Enhance academic mobility and teaching innovation by enabling academic immersion programs for students, from undergraduate through PhD levels, and visiting professorships while developing hybrid courses and MOOCs that make rare languages more accessible to global learners.
• Advance research in languages and cultures by supporting interdisciplinary projects that explore societies, study and preserve rare and rarely taught languages, and train future experts in area studies and linguistics.
• Protect academic freedom by providing sanctuary and resources to scholars and students whose research has been disrupted by geopolitical circumstances, ensuring that critical cultural and linguistic knowledge can continue to thrive.

In today’s complex global landscape, rigorous language education and cultural research are essential tools for building understanding across differences. By supporting Fondation Inalco, you help strengthen the foundations of a more informed, engaged, and resilient global society.