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(Harris County, TX, June 10, 2025) – Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo kicked off her first international trade mission this week with a reception for delegation members and key stakeholders at Rice University’s Global Paris Center, its first international campus. This marks a bold new chapter in the region’s global engagement. This inaugural mission unites influential leaders from government, business, and academia to forge strategic partnerships, attract foreign investment, and elevate Houston and Harris County’s international profile.

“It is meaningful that we kicked off our trade mission at the Rice Global Paris Center. This campus represents more than just an academic space, it’s Harris County’s official foothold into the Paris market. It’s a signal of our intention to lead in building academic partnerships, business relationships, and tackling global challenges like energy transition or technology development,” said Judge Hidalgo.

The reception, hosted by Rice University, brought together members of the Greater Houston Partnership, global business executives, and academic partners from France and beyond. The afternoon highlighted the Rice Global Paris Center’s growing role as a hub for cross-border innovation and cooperation.

Opened in 2022, and located in Paris’s historic Marais district, the Rice Global Paris Center is the university’s first international campus. Housed in the Hôtel de La Faye, a 16th-century townhouse built by royal notary Sieur Raoul de La Fay and designated a historic monument in 1966, the building is as symbolic as it is functional. With its carved staircases, exposed wood beam ceilings, and a courtyard architecture that evokes centuries of European tradition, the space provides not just a stunning venue, but one designed for growth, learning, and global impact.

The Center, led by Administrative Director Gary White and Director of Strategic Alliances Estelle Dubernard, hosts semester-long and summer courses in architecture, health sciences, and the humanities, and partners with top institutions including Université PSL and Sciences Po. To date, the Center has hosted more than 300 students, facilitated over two dozen academic programs, and convened nearly 1,800 participants across four dozen international conferences.

For Harris County, it also represents something new, a physical presence in one of the world’s most competitive and influential business environments. 

Judge Hidalgo’s international trade mission continues with high-level meetings across Paris’ innovation, climate tech, government, and investments sectors. 

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