The new face of “MAKE IT ICONIC. Choose France”, Professor Yasmine Belkaid embodies French boldness in the Government's international campaign

Press release
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Professor Yasmine Belkaid, immunologist and President of the Institut Pasteur, has joined the international attractiveness campaign “MAKE IT ICONIC. Choose France*”, which aims to promote France's boldness and spirit of innovation, by showcasing the country's research, expertise, know-how and economic strength.


A joint project between the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ Press and Communication Directorate (DCP) and the French Government Information Service, this attractiveness campaign highlights French personalities and monuments whose stories embody the French spirit, making boldness and its positive outcomes a part of our shared history, to help promote France on a worldwide scale.

Professor Yasmine Belkaid, a world-renowned researcher specialising in the relationship between microbes and the immune system, was appointed President of the Institut Pasteur in January 2024. The Institut Pasteur, a globally-acclaimed biomedical research centre, focuses on infectious diseases, microbiology and immunology, and seeks to contribute to the prevention and treatment of diseases through its four missions: research, public health, innovation and education. With 25 years of experience working at prestigious research institutions in the United States, Yasmine Belkaid has taken up her latest post with the firm intention of championing French and European research on an international scale, promoting science that is open, inclusive and accessible to the general public, and raising awareness of the importance of taking into account the diversity of genders, ethnicities and ages in the study of biological mechanisms and the development of therapies. Yasmine Belkaid is therefore an ideal figure to promote French excellence in the field of research, and joins this campaign alongside a host of luminaries including Antoine Dupont, Marie-Amélie Le Fur, Thomas Pesquet and Professor Fabrice Barlesi.

I'm delighted to be a representative of the Make it Iconic campaign, which is a fantastic opportunity to promote the excellence of French research as embodied by the Institut Pasteur. We believe in using science for the benefit of human progress, with an unwavering commitment to public health. The Institut Pasteur plays a pivotal role in the world's scientific advances and we are working tirelessly to attract and train the talent of tomorrow. We believe in bold, humanistic, internationally-oriented science to rise to the scientific challenges of the future”, says Professor Yasmine Belkaid.

We are honoured to welcome Professor Yasmine Belkaid as an ambassador for the France brand. Through her work at the Institut Pasteur, she embodies French excellence in scientific research and innovation, contributing to France's contribution to research on a global scale”, announces Michaël Nathan, Managing Director of the SIG.

Professor Yasmine Belkaid is the personification of the boldness and innovation that we are celebrating with the France brand. Her role as President of the Institut Pasteur and her commitment to open and inclusive science illustrate our ability to stand at the forefront of global medical research. Her vision and dedication reinforce France's position as a key player on the international stage, attracting the talent and investment that are essential to our economic and scientific dynamism”, states Christophe Lemoine, Director of Press and Communications at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Make it Iconic, Choose France - Professor Yasmine Belkaid


About the French Government Information Service:

Under the authority of the Prime Minister, the French Government Information Service (Service d’Information du Gouvernement or SIG) works to ensure consistency in State communications in the interests of better information for users and a more efficient organisation for the State.

To this end, the SIG carries out its duties in a number of areas:
• It analyses trends in public opinion and media coverage of government action
• It informs the general public about the actions of the Prime Minister and of the Government
• At inter-ministerial level, it steers and coordinates national Government communications and, in collaboration with the prefects and ambassadors, rolls them out to decentralised State services
• It defines and develops communication standards (State brand, accessibility, State system design, environmental communication, etc.).

Press contact: presse-sig@pm.gouv.fr


About the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs:

The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs represents, defends and promotes the interests of France and the French people in all areas with foreign countries and within international organisations.

Its priorities are to:
• Take action worldwide in favour of peace, safety and respect for human rights
• Promote French companies in foreign markets and enhance France's attractiveness abroad
• Contribute to organised globalisation to ensure the sustainable and balanced development of the planet
• Ensure the presence of French ideas, language and culture while promoting cultural diversity
• Manage the security and administration of French nationals abroad.

Press contact: presse.dcp@diplomatie.gouv.fr

 

About the Institut Pasteur:

The Institut Pasteur, a non-profit foundation with recognized charitable status set up by Louis Pasteur in 1887, is today an internationally renowned center for biomedical research.  In the pursuit of its mission to tackle diseases in France and throughout the world, the Institut Pasteur operates in four main areas: research, public health, training, and development of research applications. The Institut Pasteur is a globally recognized leader in infectious diseases, microbiology, and immunology, with research focusing on the biology of living systems. Among its areas of investigation are emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, certain cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and brain connectivity disorders. The Institut Pasteur's outstanding research is facilitated by the development of a technological environment of the highest standard, with core facilities for nanoimaging, computational biology and artificial intelligence. Since its inception, 10 Institut Pasteur scientists have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine, including two in 2008 for the 1983 discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS.

The Institut Pasteur is part of the Pasteur Network a worldwide network of more than 30 members on five continents, united by Pasteurian values, that contribute to global health.
Since July 1, 2021, the Institut Pasteur is a research partner organization of Université Paris Cité.

For more information please visit www.pasteur.fr
Press Contact: Aurélie Perthuison, Press Office, presse@pasteur.fr

AURÉLIE PERTHUISON
Head of press office

ANNE BURLET-PARENDEL

Press officer

MYRIAM REBEYROTTE
Press officer

NATHALIE FEUILLET
Press office assistant

 

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