President

Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Sonya Stephens took an early interest in France and the French language; at 15, she studied in the Loire Valley before subsequently working there as an English Language Assistant. She later pursued a BA in Modern and Medieval Languages at the University of Cambridge, an MA in French Studies at the University of Montreal and a PhD in French from the University of Cambridge. Her focus was on 19th-century French poetry, particularly the works of Stéphane Mallarmé.

Since joining AUP, Stephens has consolidated her knowledge of both the European and American education systems and advocated for the liberal arts tradition—with an emphasis on experiential learning, professional opportunities and a global outlook—ensuring that AUP students are well-equipped to navigate their own pathways through a complex, interconnected world. For Stephens, being abroad offers an exercise in humility—one that continually guides her, providing opportunities to experience otherness and see points of privilege.

Stephens is herself a global explorer—a term AUP uses to describe the kind of globally minded student it exists to educate—with a love of travel and a fondness for intercultural study. “Getting to a point where you can navigate place, people, culture and knowledge all at once creates a flexibility of mind and spirit—and an interest in others,” she explains. She is an active scholar and continues to publish articles and essays on French literature, cultural theory and higher education. She is the author of Baudelaire’s Prose Poems: The Practice and Politics of Irony (1999) and has also edited several books, including A History of Women’s Writing in France (2009) and Translation and the Arts in Modern France (2017).

Her leadership continues to shape the future of the University, ensuring that AUP remains a dynamic and inclusive institution that prepares diverse, curious and independently-minded students to explore the world, engage across cultures and lead change globally.