Cambridge Society of Paris

Cambridge Society of Paris Annual Dinner 2025
2025-10-24 19:30 - 23:00 (Europe/Paris) | Maison de Polytechniciens, 12 rue de Poitiers, Paris, 75007, France
You are invited to the
Cambridge Society of Paris Annual Dinner
with Debbie Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University
19h30 to 23h30
Friday 24th October 2025
La Maison des Polytechniciens, 12 Rue de Poitiers, 75007 Paris
Booking is now closed.
A small number of places may become available due to late cancellations. If you are interested in going onto the waiting list for these, please contact Tony Banton, Treasurer. However, please note that it may not be possible to take into account any dietary requirements.
l’Hôtel de Poulpry

The mansion was built in 1703. The house has accommodated several political and artistic organizations over the centuries. Successive occupants have left their mark with the installation of elegant fireplaces and balconies. The name “Poulpry” comes from one of its owners in the late eighteenth century.
The house is now the base of the Association des Amis des Polytechniciens and is also made available to other groups for their events.
Our Guest Speaker

Professor Deborah Prentice became the University of Cambridge’s 347th Vice-Chancellor on July 1, 2023.
An eminent psychologist, Professor Prentice carried out her academic and administrative career at Princeton University, which she first joined in 1988. She rose through the academic ranks and took on administrative responsibilities of increasing scope, chairing the Department of Psychology for 12 years, serving as Dean of Faculty for three years, and then serving six years as Provost, with primary responsibility for all academic, budgetary, and long-term planning issues.
Her academic expertise is in the study of social norms that govern human behaviour – particularly the impact and development of unwritten rules and conventions, and how people respond to breaches of those rules. She has edited three academic volumes and published more than 50 articles and chapters, and she has specialised in the study of domestic violence, alcohol abuse and gender stereotypes.
Ticket Application
The Cambridge Society of Paris is delighted to invite you and your guests to one of the landmark events of the CamSoc year.
Members of the Cambridge Societies of Paris, Belgium or Luxembourg may apply for one or two members’ tickets. The price for aperitif, dinner and drinks is €75 per person. Additional guests are also welcome, although their ticket price is €90 each.
For our younger members, under 30 years of age, tickets are €55 per person, again with one guest being able to be invited at the same price, irrespective of the age of the guest. Additional guests are €90 each.
Alumni of Cambridge University who are not members of the Paris, Belgian or Luxembourg Societies may also join us, with tickets available at €90 per person.
To apply for tickets, use the plus sign to the right of each ticket type to select the tickets you would like to book. Please note that applications for more than two of the Standard Members tickets or U30 Members tickets will not be accepted.
If you have any questions about the Dinner, please contact Tony Banton, Treasurer.
Dress: Black tie (or lounge suits if preferred).
Please note that refunds will only be possible for cancellations received by Wednesday 12th October 2025.

Musée d'Orsay - Sargent Exhibition - Dazzling Paris (1874-1884)
2025-11-13 17:30 - 19:00 | Musée d’Orsay, Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Paris, 75007, France
Sargent Exhibition – Dazzling Paris (1874-1884)
Event sold out

13 November 2025
An exclusive guided tour organised by the Cambridge Society of Paris. Visit the Musée d’Orsay to see a specially curated exhibition of Sargent Paintings – a rare opportunity for members to view the exhibition. Marta, our highly competent guide, will peacefully take you through the collection with live commentary.

John Singer Sargent (Florence, 1856 – London, 1925), along with James McNeill Whistler, was the most famous American artist of his generation and certainly one of the greatest painters of the 19th and early 20th century. Revered in the United States (his Portrait of Madame X is regarded as the Mona Lisa of the American art collection conserved by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York), he is also famous in the United Kingdom, where he spent most of his career. In France, however, his name and work remain largely unknown, a situation that the exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay hopes to change in the autumn of 2025.Assemble at 17:30 on the esplanade of the museum by the sculpture of the Rhino (on the river bank) Esplanade Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, 75007 Paris. Priority access is provided, but we need to pass the security check, leave any bags or coats in the cloakroom and get the audiophones. Please be there on time to be sure to enter on time as our tour slot is booked for 18:00 and we must not be late starting. Marta will be there to greet us and has made all necessary arrangements.
Price: €30 per person. all-inclusive of entrance fees, guide charges, the audiophones / headphones
Optional Dinner is possible after the visit at the Café Orsay in the same street as the Museum. Good food and reasonable fixed menu options available. Cost around €40 per person. Please indicate if you intend to stay on for dinner when making your tour reservation. Payment for the meal will be at the restaurant by each diner.
Event sold out: and there is already a long waiting list so it is no longer possible to register for this event.
Contact: events@camsocparis.org for more information.

Fontainebleau Day - Saturday 29th November
2025-11-29 10:00 - 16:00 | Fontainebleau
An invitation to live like a sovereign for a day, right in the heart of Fontainebleau!
Saturday 29th November 2025

After last year’s successful event, CamSoc’s very own committee member and Fontainebleau resident Sylvie Leger is again very kindly organising a visit to the town across Saturday 29th November.
Sylvie will host a lunch at l’Hôtel Mercure Château de Fontainebleau Demeures de Campagne, followed by an address from a speaker from Fontainebleau’s INSEAD business school, before leading the way to the town’s exquisite Château (summer residence of France’s sovereign rulers for eight centuries) for a visit to the internationally renowned Salon du Chocolat.
Coming to Fontainebleau, a town of character next door to Paris, will give you the opportunity to feel immersed in a stunningly welcoming universe. Spending one day in Fontainebleau will not only give you an insight into the splendours of its famous Château, but also a chance to live like a Bellifontain(e)!
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AGENDA
Lunch & Speaker
12h00: Lunch at l’Hôtel Mercure Château de Fontainebleau Demeures de Campagne a few steps away from the Château.
After lunch, there will be a speaker from the INSEAD Business School.
Tickets for the lunch, which includes soft drinks and wine, are €52 per person.
Salon “Impérial Chocolat & Gastronomie”
After the speaker’s address: Sylvie Leger will lead the group to the annual Salon taking place at the Château itself (outdoors and indoors), supervised by the famous chef Fréderic Cassel who owns a store in Fontainebleau.
The making of chocolate, tasting, chocolate sculptures of animals, and famous Parisian monuments are amongst the highlights. For those staying longer, the salon lasts two days: Saturday 29th November and Sunday 30th November.
Tickets for the Salon are €9 per person.
Fontainebleau Visit
16h00: Sylvie will guide a walking visit of the highlights of Fontainebleau (weather permitting!) for those interested, starting from outside the Salon.

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TICKETS
Registration for the Lunch (€52 per person) and the Salon (€9 per person) are available through the ticket section below. You can attend just the lunch, or just the Salon (in which case meet at the restaurant at 14:00 to get your ticket) but we hope most of you will come to both. You are also welcome to purchase Salon tickets separately via the official website or on-site, if you wish to visit on a different day.
If you have any questions about the day, please contact Sylvie Leger.

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PRACTICAL INFORMATION
i) Train from Paris
You are welcome to make your own way to Fontainebleau, but if you follow the schedule below, Sylvie will be waiting to guide you on arrival at Fontainebleau-Avon station. If you make your own way to the restaurant, please be there by 12 noon.
Departure from Hall 1 Gare de Lyon, 10h08 – Arrival time at Fontainebleau-Avon 10h57
(Stops: Melun; Bois le Roi; Fontainebleau-Avon. The train ride lasts 40 minutes. The train continues to Montargis or other towns. They are surface trains.
Tickets are €2.50 one-way as long as you have a Navigo card, which means your metro/RER travel to Gare de Lyon is also included. You will need to present your Navigo pass when you leave the station (do not go down the stairs). If necessary, you can load your pass with the amount required for the return trip to Paris at Fontainebleau-Avon station.
ii) Bus to Fontainebleau
Upon arrival at Fontainebleau-Avon station, Sylvie will be there on the platform to welcome you.
A 10-minute bus ride will take us to the town centre and so the Château. Tickets are €2.50 one-way (€1.49 if you have a Navigo Easy Pass). It is bus Line 1 if you miss the 10h16 train and so need to make your way to the restaurant on your own.
Bus and train tickets are not included in the event registration to accommodate those wishing to make their own way.
iii) L’Hôtel Mercure Château de Fontainebleau Demeures de Campagne
Address: 41 rue Royale, 77300 Fontainebleau.
3-course meal
Soft drinks and wine included
iv) Salon du Chocolat
Address: Château de Fontainebleau, Place Charles de Gaulle, 77300 Fontainebleau
v) Return to Paris
Sylvie will indicate the bus station in town, so that everyone can go back to the railway station according to their own schedules. There are trains approximately every 30 minutes back to Paris, Gare de Lyon.
For those of you who would like to stay overnight and enjoy the Sunday morning market, there are many options. Sylvie can easily advise you if you need directions or inspiration.
If you have any questions about the day, please contact Sylvie Leger.

Carol Singing at the Travellers Club
2025-12-09 18:30 - 20:00 | The Travellers Club, 25 avenue des Champs-Elysées, Paris, 75008, France
This event is SOLD OUT

Christmas is coming, and the Oxford and Cambridge Societies, ably assisted by members of the English Speaking Union and The Arts Society – Paris, will once again be raising the roof at the Travellers Club on the Champs Elysées at the now traditional Carol Singing. Mince pies and mulled wine will be served.
The singing will again be led by Christopher Wells and John Thompson
Event sold out

CAMentrepreneurs 2026 Kick-off drinks
2026-02-05 19:00 - 22:00 | Pub Saint Hilaire, 2 rue Valette, Paris, 75005, France
CAMentrepreneurs invite our members to their 2026 Kick-off drinks. Here is their invitation message;
Join us for an informal evening of networking, idea-sharing, and entrepreneurship with the CAMentrepreneurs Paris community.
5 February 2026 | 19:00–22:00
Pub Saint Hilaire, 5th arrondissement
Open to Cambridge entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, alumni, and like-minded professionals.
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/paris-2026-kickoff-drinks-tickets-1979744898284?aff=oddtdtcreator
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Camila, Pierre, Luis
CamEnt Paris

Cambridge Society of Belgium Annual Dinner
2026-02-27 18:30 - 23:00 | Cercle Royal Gaulois, Rue de la Loi 5, Brussels, 1000, Belgium
An invitation to our members from the Cambridge Society of Belgium – their invitation is reproduced below:
Friday, 27th February 2026 from 6:30pm
The President and the Committee request the pleasure of your company at the Cambridge Society Annual Dinner 2026.
We are most pleased to announce that this dinner will be held once again at the prestigious Cercle Royal Gaulois, Rue de la Loi 5, 1000 Brussels.

The dress code is black tie or smart evening dress. Smart lounge suits and smart ladies’ business attire is acceptable. Gentlemen are expected to wear ties. Academic attire and national costumes are especially welcome.
Speaker and Guest of Honour
We are proud to welcome Lord Smith of Finsbury, the Chancellor, former Master of Pembroke and former Cabinet Minister, as our Speaker and Guest of Honour.

The Chancellor will talk on the subject of “What is a University For?”
About the Speaker and Guest of Honour: Chris Smith – The Chancellor
We are honoured to welcome Lord Chris Smith of Finsbury, Elected Chancellor of the University of Cambridge (July 2025), as our Speaker and Guest of Honour.
Lord Smith’s distinguished career spans politics, academia, and cultural leadership. Born in 1951 and educated in Edinburgh before attending Pembroke College, Cambridge, he achieved a double first in English and later completed a PhD on Wordsworth and Coleridge. He also spent a year at Harvard as a Kennedy Scholar. His political career began in local government and quickly progressed to national politics when he became MP for Islington South and Finsbury in 1983.
During his years in Parliament, he served in several Shadow Cabinet roles before being appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in 1997. In that role he restored free admission to national museums and galleries, expanded support for the arts and sport, and championed the creative industries at a time when their economic and cultural significance was becoming increasingly visible. He also oversaw the creation of NESTA, the Film Council, Creative Partnerships for schools, and the Foundation for Youth Music, helped initiate funding for Olympic athletes, and launched the national transition to digital television. He was the first openly gay Cabinet Minister in the world.
After returning to the back benches in 2001 and playing a leading role in opposing the Iraq war, he stepped down from the Commons in 2005 and entered the House of Lords. Alongside his parliamentary work, he has held numerous leadership roles across the cultural and public sectors, including Director of the Clore Leadership Programme, Chairman of the Environment Agency, Chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority, Chairman of the Art Fund, Chair of Judges for the Man Booker Prize, and Chair of the Donmar Warehouse Theatre. He has also chaired Cambridge and South Staffs Water, served as Chair of the Intellectual Property Regulation Board, acted as a Non-Executive Director of PPL, and continues to support the Wordsworth Trust as Honorary President. From 2015 to 2025, he served as Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge.
Dress Code
Black tie or smart evening dress is preferred. Smart lounge suits and ladies’ business attire are acceptable. Gentlemen are expected to wear ties. Academic attire and national costumes are warmly welcomed. We wish that all members and guests feel comfortable but formal dress is required.
Tickets & Registration
The Cercle Royal Gaulois has limited capacity, so early registration is strongly recommended. Please reserve your ticket by midnight, 20th February 2026 via registration link pending.
Ticket Prices:

Full Members & one guest: €79 per person
Full Members aged 30 or under: €55 per person, with one guest at €79
Reciprocating Cambridge Societies (Paris & Luxembourg) – Full Members & one guest: €79 per person.
Non-Members and other guests: €95

Please note that no refunds for cancellations can be made after midnight on Friday, 20 February.
Click HERE to register and pay. Please note that this is the first time we are using Ticket Tailor for a paid event. It should save us a great deal of work. We’ve tested several means of payment – in particular the QR code is fast and efficient using your phone. Please only report bugs.

Wine Sampling evening 24 March 2026
2026-03-24 19:00 - 22:00 | Cave Pétillance, 19 rue Condorcet, Paris, 75009, France
Wine Sampling evening 24 March 2026
EVENT SOLD OUT

On Tuesday, 24 March, from 19:00 p.m. on, all members of the Society – as well as our friends from the Oxford University Society in Paris – are cordially invited to an evening at Cave Pétillance, 19 rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris. Different wines – accompanied by a small selection of cheese and meats – will be served. Do not miss the chance to sample some interesting wines in a casual setting with fellow Society members.
Tickets are 25€ per person and can be booked using the link below.

Leonora Carrington at the Musée du Luxembourg
2026-03-30 18:00 - 20:30 | Musée du Luxembourg, 19 rue de Vaugirard, Paris, 75006, France
The exhibition highlights the exceptional legacy of this perpetual traveler, always in search of self-knowledge.
At the Musée du Luxembourg,
Monday 30th March 2026 at 6h00 pm

One more occasion to be all together and share pleasant times. An exclusive guided visit organized by the Cambridge Society of Paris. Marta, our highly competent guide, will peacefully take you through the collection with live commentary.

Assemble at the front entrance of the Musée du Luxembourg, (details will follow).Please arrive by 6:00 PM at the latest to be sure to enter the exhibition on time.Priority access provided. The tour will start at 18:30 Hrs, so please do not be late as we need to pass the security check, leave any bags or coats in the cloakroom and get the audiophones. Marta will be there to greet us and has made all necessary arrangements.
Special Price: €35 all-inclusive of entrance fees, guide charges, the audiophones & headphones.
Optional Dinner is possible after the visit at LM, 13 Rue de Médicis 75006 Paris, right opposite the Museum. Good food and reasonable fixed menu options available in a great ambiance. Cost around €40 per person. Please indicate if you intend to stay on for dinner when making your tour reservation. Payment for the meal will be at the restaurant by each diner.
To book your place: Tickets are €35 per person and can be booked using the ticket section below. Please use the “+” sign to the right of the ticket box to select the number of tickets wanted.

Paris Boat Race Watch Party
2026-04-04 14:30 - 17:30 | The Bombardier, 2 Place du Panthéon, Paris, 75005, France
SATURDAY 4th APRIL
From 2h30 pm at The Bombardier
2 Place du Panthéon, 75005 Paris

F
We have, with the help of our friends from Oxford, again booked at The Bombardier, 2 Place du Panthéon, 75005 Paris (metro Cardinal Lemoine and Maubert-Mutualité (both on line 10) or RER B Luxembourg).
We will meet there to support Cambridge in an atmosphere of friendly rivalry with Oxford on Saturday 4th April from 2h30 pm.
You can let us know that you plan to come by registering in the event section of the website to give us an idea of numbers, but you will be welcome to join us even without registration. Snacks will be provided for all.
The Ladies’ race starts at 15h21 (Paris time), followed an hour later by the Mens’ race
Further information is available on the official Boat Race website here.

The Oxford Society invites us to Dark Blues!
2026-04-15 18:30 - 22:00 | Matcha Café, 10 rue de la Boëtie, Paris, 75008, France
Dark Blues!
CHANGE OF DATE
Wednesday 15 April from 6:30 pm
Matcha Café 10 rue la Boétie, 75008

Drink and chat
with live soul and blues music
from 6:30 pm
Entrance free

Ensemble Rejoyce - "Round Table" with Sir Michael Edwards
2026-04-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Maison des Sciences Po, 1 Place Saint Thomas d'Aquin, Paris, 75007, France
“Round Table” led by Sir Michael Edwards
at Sciences Po

Society member Gabrielle Desalbres and president co-founder of Ensemble Rejoyce, Cambridge, wishes to share details of a round table event on 17 April, in Paris, which might be of interest to you.
Having recently performed at the Festival de musique sacrée de St Malo, Ensemble Rejoyce, Cambridge will give a concert in Paris for the first time. Ensemble Rejoyce is a Franco-British a cappella vocal octet founded in 2022 by choral scholars from the famous Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, with the aim to strengthen Franco-British friendship through performing French and British music on both sides of the Channel and creating its own bilingual repertoire in collaboration with young composers and distinguished poets such as Sir Michael Edwards, honorary fellow from Christ’s College, Cambridge and member of the Académie française.
A “round table” event has been organised at Sciences Po on Friday 17 April, led by Cambridge Alumnus Sir Michael Edwards and involving members of Ensemble Rejoyce, among whom are a junior research fellow from Trinity College, Cambridge and a young British composer.. The round table will be followed by a concert. The event will take place in Sciences Po on Friday 17 April at 7 pm, and is co-organised by Sciences Po Alumni and Ensemble Rejoyce, Cambridge. It is open to members and non-members alike (members of Sciences Po Alumni : 5 € ; non-members : 10 €; free for students). Link to further details.

Ensemble Rejoyce - Concert
2026-04-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Eglise Notre-Dame des Blancs-Manteaux, 12 rue des Blancs Manteaux, Paris, 75004, France
Choral Concert
Sunday 19 April at 7pm
Notre Dame des Blancs Manteaux, 75004 Paris
Society member Gabrielle Desalbres and president co-founder of Ensemble Rejoyce, Cambridge, wishes to share details of a Franco-British concert happening on 19 April, in Paris, which might be of interest to you.

Having recently performed at the Festival de musique sacrée de St Malo, Ensemble Rejoyce, Cambridge will give a concert in Paris for the first time. Ensemble Rejoyce is a Franco-British a cappella vocal octet founded in 2022 by choral scholars from the famous Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, with the aim to strengthen Franco-British friendship through performing French and British music on both sides of the Channel and creating its own bilingual repertoire in collaboration with young composers and distinguished poets such as Sir Michael Edwards, honorary fellow from Christ’s College, Cambridge and member of the Académie française.
There will be a concert at the church of Notre Dame des Blancs Manteaux, 75004 Paris, on Sunday 19th April at 7pm. It will include sacred and lighter pieces from the Renaissance to our days, with original arrangements and compositions for the group, such as Over the white cliffs of Dover in a unique arrangement for 8 voices. For more details go to this link. Entry is free, with a retiring collection.

CAMentrepreneurs - Entrepreneurship and bien-être workshop
2026-04-26 18:00 - 21:00 | Le Cirque, 141 rue Saint-Martin, Paris, 75004, France
A message from Luis Briseno-Roa, coordinator of CAMentrepreneurs for Paris
I used to share a house with a group of Brazilian friends back in Cambridge – our place was always full of warmth, energy, and a contagious sense of joy, as you can probably imagine.
We are delighted we can bring a bit of that spirit to our network – and luckily have Camila to guide our steps in Forró – a partner dance from northeastern Brazil, influenced by salsa and tango.
You can check out this video of Camila in forró à Paris, that by itself is a joy:
https://youtu.be/LQZOXVjuIWU?is=2NGvLXDqIhhvcabc
Beyond the dance itself, the intention is keep building our meaningful safe space for well-being – key for any high-worth high-trust network.
The venue is large and all partners and friends are welcome (and encourage) to join us!
Here are the details:
Sunday 26 April 2026
18:00–19:00 Forró dance class
19:00–21:00 Social & networking
Venue: Le Cirque – Beaubourg, 4ème – right in front of the Centre Pompidou.
Contribution: €10 for DJ – can be paid using Wero
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/workshop-entrepreneurs-bien-etre-body-network-tickets-1985957742067
Hope to see you there!
Luis, on behalf also of Camila and Pierre.

Oxford and Cambridge "First Wednesday" Drinks
2026-05-06 19:00 - 22:00 | Murphy’s House, 10 rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, 75009, France
First Wednesday drinks
We will meet at MURPHY’S HOUSE for our Monthly Drinks on 6th May.

All Oxford and Cambridge Alumni, whether or not members of the Paris Societies, are cordially invited to join us for our Monthly drinks get-together at this centrally located bar – very close to Opera metro and Auber RER stations – at 10 rue de la Chaussée d’Antin, 75009 Paris.

We have arranged to use the first floor area, but if you don’t find us ask the staff where we can be found. We will have a dedicated member of the bar staff to take our orders, but please remember everyone is responsible for paying for their own drinks so please do not leave with out settling up.
Please make sure you pay for your own drinks before leaving.

SAVE THE DATE - Oxford and Cambridge Garden Party
2026-06-04 18:30 - 20:30 | British Ambassador’s Residence in Paris, 39 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, Paris, 75008, France
After an absence that has been far too long, our friends from Oxford, charged with the organisation of the Garden Party this year, have succeeded in securing a date from the British Ambassador and his staff.
This year’s Garden Party will take place on Thursday 4th June at the British Ambassador’s Residence, 39 rue du Faubourg St Honoré, from 6h30pm.
Details and bookings will be made available as soon as they are available.
But do SAVE THE DATE of Thursday 4th June 2026 in your diaries now.

Society AGM
2026-06-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Maison de la Vie Associative et Citoyenne du VIIe, 4 rue Amélie, Paris, 75007, France
SAVE THE DATE

The Society’s AGM will be held at 7pm on Tuesday 9th June at the Maison de la Vie Associative et Citoyenne, 4 rue Amélie, 75007 Paris.
More details and a formal notice of the meeting will be sent to members in May.

Matisse Exhibition at the Grand Palais
2026-06-26 18:00 - 19:00 | Grand Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris, 75008, France
SAVE THE DATE
We have again retained the services of our guide, Marta, for a guided tour of the Matisse Exhibition at the Grand Palais on the evening of 26th June. The visit will be followed by an optional dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Full details and the registration form will be made available nearer to the date of this event.
