aivancity · International Study Tour

At the heart of the global artificial intelligence innovation ecosystem Silicon Valley · Learning Trip

An immersive experience offering an insight into how innovations in artificial intelligence are conceived, developed and rolled out within the world’s most innovative organisations.

San Francisco Big Tech & Scale-ups, Venture Capital, Stanford University Startup Ecosystem

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The Learning Trip

Discover the globalAI ecosystem, where the innovations that transform organisations are born.

The Learning Trip is an academic and professional immersion programme designed to enable students to understand the practices, cultures and innovation models of the major players in artificial intelligence. Over five days, they meet with technology companies, entrepreneurs, investors and researchers to develop a global perspective on their future careers.

Each year, a cohort of students takes part in a week-long immersion programme in San Francisco and Silicon Valley to discover the organisations that are currently shaping the global artificial intelligence ecosystem. The programme evolves each year to offer opportunities that reflect the latest technological innovations and partnerships developed by aivancity.

Students meet executives, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors and artificial intelligence experts during company visits, conferences, round-table discussions and networking sessions. These exchanges enable them to gain a better understanding of the technological, economic and human challenges associated with the development of AI. The Learning Trip prioritises direct interaction with professionals and hands-on exploration of the innovation ecosystem to provide an experience that complements academic teaching.

This immersive experience helps to develop an international outlook, a better understanding of careers in AI, a stronger professional mindset and a network of contacts that will prove useful for students’ future academic and professional paths.

What each edition includes
5
Days of intensive immersion
10+
Companies and institutions visited
40
Professional contacts made
A lasting international outlook and a better understanding of the global AI ecosystem.
Why Silicon Valley

Why exploring Silicon Valley offers a unique opportunity to understand innovation in artificial intelligence.

Silicon Valley brings together technology companies, universities, investors and entrepreneurs who are driving the evolution of artificial intelligence. This immersive experience allows students to observe first-hand the practices and methods that characterise this innovation ecosystem.

01
AI is already widely integrated into business operations
Students discover how it is transforming products, services and operational processes.
02
Turning an idea into a product
The companies visited demonstrate how AI projects are rapidly developed, tested and refined to meet market needs.
03
Creating value at scale
Students discover that the success of an innovation depends as much on its adoption as on its technical quality.
04
Measuring the impact of AI
Discussions highlight the challenges involved in assessing the value created by artificial intelligence projects within organisations.
05
An active French community
Students also meet French professionals holding key roles within the Californian ecosystem, illustrating the many international career opportunities available.
06
Learning through experimentation
Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial culture values continuous learning, rapid improvement and innovation.
07
Soft skills are becoming essential
As artificial intelligence automates certain tasks, human skills such as leadership, communication, creativity and collaboration are becoming increasingly important. Interactions with professionals enable students to gain a better understanding of these developments.
08
Building an international professional network
The meetings held during the Learning Trip enable students to forge links with professionals, entrepreneurs and researchers who can enrich their academic and professional journeys.
Networking

Developing your professional network
Internationally

The Learning Trip also offers an opportunity to learn how to build a professional network in an international context. Students discover best practices in networking and engage with professionals from a variety of backgrounds.

Building your network
🤝
Building professional relationships The meetings organised during the Learning Trip enable students to engage with professionals in a range of roles within the fields of artificial intelligence, product development, research and entrepreneurship.
🔁
Developing your network Students are encouraged to stay in touch with the speakers they meet in order to continue the dialogue, benefit from advice and gradually develop their professional network.
🌍
Understanding international norms Beyond these meetings, this immersive experience also offers the chance to discover professional practices specific to international environments.
An international outlook
🧭
Developing an international outlook The Learning Trip enables students to strengthen their international outlook, their ability to adapt and their understanding of the challenges associated with global innovation in artificial intelligence.

Feedback

Sample programme: 2026 edition
San Francisco · 4–8 May 2026

A cohort of students, 5 days, visits to over 10 companies. The programme, photos and insights from the 2026 cohort.

The programme is provided as an example. The organisations visited vary each year depending on partnerships and availability.
Programme · 2026 Edition

5 days in the ecosystem,
day by day

Each day was designed to expose students to a different facet of innovation: AI operations, venture capital, product development, and the Franco-American network.

Day 1 Monday 4 May · San Francisco
Welcome to the ecosystem: Introduction, Big Tech, Venture Capital
French American Chamber of Commerce
Presentation of the Californian innovation ecosystem, how it works and its cultural characteristics.
Pinterest: 80 billion searches
Engineering, Product & Trust. Exploring the uses of artificial intelligence in product development and business processes.
Cathay Innovation · Top 3 VCs in Europe
Meeting with an investment fund specialising in technological innovation.
Day 2 Tuesday 5 May · Silicon Valley / Bay Area
Big Tech, campuses & venture capital: YouTube, Stanford, Plug&Play, Apple
YouTube / Google
Presentation on issues relating to trust, security and AI applications in digital platforms.
Stanford University d.school
An introduction to the approaches to innovation and Design Thinking developed at Stanford.
Plug & Play: ~1 investment per day
An overview of the innovation ecosystem and discussions on tech entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence.
Day 3 Wednesday 6 May · San Francisco
Businesses & applied innovation: Scale-up, science museum, Uber panel
Planisware: French scale-up
Global leader in PPM. An example of a French company dominating a global market from San Francisco.
San Francisco Exploratorium
Science museum with an AI section. Immersive educational approach.
Uber panel · USF Board AI
Discussions on the use of artificial intelligence in large organisations.
Day 4 Thursday 7 May · San Francisco
Networking at the summit: CRM, professional networking, AI-powered email + FABA evening event
Salesforce · Data Cloud & AI
Exploring the applications of agent-based AI in CRM solutions and business tools.
LinkedIn · “Welcome Aivancity!”
Meeting with the LinkedIn teams to discuss careers, the product and the platform’s business model.
FABA Startup Competition Evening
Networking with entrepreneurs, investors and members of the Franco-American ecosystem.
Day 5 Friday 8 May · San Francisco
Closing: Analytics & Bay-Alcatraz cruise
Salesforce · Digital & Analytics
Presentation of analytical approaches for measuring the impact of artificial intelligence projects.
Bay–Alcatraz cruise
The closing event of the Learning Trip, offering a tour of San Francisco Bay and an opportunity for informal discussion amongst participants before the return journey.
Gallery · 2026 Edition

The experience in pictures

A cohort of students in the corridors of the world’s leading tech companies: photos that capture a formative week.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn HQ: welcoming the aivancity delegation
Planisware
Planisware: enterprise & AI session
FABA
FABA Startup Competition: networking & pitches
Salesforce
Salesforce: the aivancity group with the teams
FACC
French-American Chamber of Commerce, California
Panel
Panel session: speakers from Silicon Valley
LinkedIn session
LinkedIn: aivancity School of AI presentation
Pinterest
Pinterest: aivancity delegation at the offices
Débrief wine bar
Informal debrief: wine bar, after Cathay Innovation
Panel Uber
Uber / University of San Francisco panel
Salesforce présentation
Salesforce: Data Cloud & Analytics presentation
Meetings · 2026 Edition

Some of the organisations we met
during the 2026 edition

The 2026 edition enabled students to meet technology companies, investment funds, organisations supporting innovation and professionals from the Californian tech ecosystem. The organisations listed below are provided by way of example and may vary from edition to edition.

Pinterest
Day 1 · Big Tech · Operational AI
Pinterest
Discovering how a major digital platform integrates artificial intelligence into its products, processes and decision-making.
LinkedIn
Day 4 · Professional Network
LinkedIn
Discussions with LinkedIn teams about roles, the platform and the uses of artificial intelligence in professional environments.
Salesforce
Days 4 & 5 · CRM · Agent-based AI
Salesforce
Two sessions dedicated to the applications of agent-based AI in CRM solutions, data analytics and business transformation.
Planisware
Day 3 · French scale-up
Planisware
An example of a French company that has established an international presence in the field of project management software.
FABA
Day 4 · Startup Competition
FABA Start-up Competition
Pitches by Franco-American start-ups to a panel of judges. Attendance at an evening event bringing together entrepreneurs, investors and key players in Franco-American innovation.
FACC
Partner · FACC California
French-American Chamber of Commerce
The French-American Chamber of Commerce supports the organisation of the Learning Trip by facilitating exchanges with companies and key players in the Californian ecosystem.
Professional network

The network developed
during the Learning Trip

Throughout the week, students meet professionals from major technology companies, start-ups, investment funds, universities and partner organisations. These exchanges provide a better understanding of careers in artificial intelligence, companies’ expectations and developments in the sector, whilst helping students build an international professional network.

“This immersion goes beyond a mere visit to Silicon Valley: it places students in direct contact with the places, people and ideas shaping the global future of AI, and confirms that aivancity has a rightful place within this ecosystem.”
Matthieu Alcindor, Head of Admissions, aivancity
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