University of London Institute in Paris

As the first British institute on continental Europe, our mission is to connect the UK with the Francophone world by providing a hub for fruitful academic exchange and enabling our students to gain invaluable international experience.

Originally known as the Franco-British Guild, the Institute is dedicated to promoting the study of language and cultural understanding and continues to offer its outstanding French Studies programme.

In addition, we work closely with our principal partner Queen Mary University of London, one of the top 100 universities in the world, to offer world-class academic opportunities in a number of fields. This partnership includes the successful Centre for Commercial Law Studies’ LLM, a new International Politics department and forthcoming programme developments in business studies.

We provide an exceptional learning experience for our students, combining the benefits of a small welcoming institute with all of the advantages of a leading UK university with global reach. Studying at ULIP will either lead to the award of a University of London or a Queen Mary University of London degree, internationally-recognised qualifications that will stand you in good stead for your future career.

Paris has long been a major cultural and intellectual crossroads, recognised throughout the world as one of the great centres for creative excellence. Today, Paris is one of the most influential cities in the world and a leading centre of politics, education, entertainment, media, science, and the arts. The University of London Institute in Paris aims to be an academic institution of distinction through excellence in teaching and research and the relevance of its academic activity and engagement as a bridge into Paris and mainland Europe.

We believe that going to university is about more than just continuing your education. It should be an opportunity to gain a wealth of experience that will prepare you for the challenges ahead. Studying at the University of London Institute in Paris, in the heart of one of the world's most beautiful cities, is a truly life-changing experience.

The University of London Institute in Paris is the UK's leading institute in France and works in partnership with Queen Mary University of London to offer outstanding courses in French Studies, International Relations and Law.

The Institute is a central academic body of the University of London, one of the oldest, largest and most diverse universities in the UK. Established by Royal Charter in 1836, the University is recognised globally as a world leader in Higher Education.

The federal University comprises 18 self-governing Colleges of outstanding reputation, together with a number of prestigious central academic bodies and activities, including Senate House Library and the Careers Group.

120,000 students are currently studying at the University of London, with a further 50,000 students in 180 countries studying by distance learning with the University of London International Programmes.

The Institute has a long history of supporting French and British academic collaboration that pre-dates the Entente Cordiale – the historic agreement that significantly improved Anglo-French relations in 1904.

The University of London Institute in Paris was the brainchild of Miss Edith Williams, who came to the Sorbonne to train as a teacher of English. She succeeded in becoming the second-ever woman to receive the Agrégation d’anglais (a qualification necessary for teaching at university level) and started holding weekly English classes in her flat. In 1894, thanks to the support of the British Ambassador and the French Government, she formed the Franco-British Guild.

In the aftermath of the Great War, the Guild was reorganised to become the British Institute in Paris, the first British institute in continental Europe that offered both French and English courses. At that time it was an integral part of the Universite de Paris and was also supported by a consortium of British universities including the University of London. A library and a clubroom were added, and leading French and British intellectuals and academics were invited to lecture. The Institute's work continued during German occupation of France. Some staff accepted the hospitality of the University of Reading, where they offered parallel classes in French and English to British and French officers respectively to improve the liaison between them. Others remained in Paris, from where they contrived to run covert distance courses in English through-out the war.

British Institute at the Sorbonne 1939 - University of London Institute in ParisBritish Institute at the Sorbonne 1939 - University of London Institute in Paris

The Institute was incorporated into the University of London in 1969 and sits alongside the School of Advanced Study as a Central Institute of the University. In 1976, the Institute moved into larger, more handsome premises overlooking the Esplanade des Invalides, thanks to a grant from the Rayne Foundation, and shares its building with the British Council. It officially changed its "British Institute" title to the "University of London Institute in Paris" in 2005.

Inauguration Queen Elizabeth British Cultural Center 1976 at the University of London Institute in ParisQueen Elizabeth visiting the British Institute in Paris at the University of London Institute in Paris

Currently, the University of London Institute in Paris continues to promote the study of language and cultural understanding by offering its outstanding French Studies programme. In addition, the Institute has strengthened its partnership with Queen Mary University of London, ranked in the top 100 universities in the world, and is establishing itself as a centre for world-class research and undergraduate and postgraduate teaching by expanding its portfolio of programmes in Business, International Relations and Law.