The Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics

Directed by Florence Faucher since September 2022, the Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics is a multidisciplinary research centre affiliated with Sciences Po and the CNRS (the French National Centre for Scientific Research). 

Our research focus is on the comparative analysis of politics and policy. Europe provides the geographical an institutional locus of our work. We cover a wide range of themes, structured  around four interlocking dimensions: the transformation of capitalism; cities, borders, and mobilities; states and public policies; strains in representative democracy. 

We explore how contemporary transformations (such as digital and ecological transitions, European integration, globalisation, tertiarisation, financialisation, urbanisation, segregation and migrations) influence evolutions in politics (elections and representative democracy, political ideas, parties and movements, populism), in policy (healthcare and social protection, environment, migration, inclusion and anti-discrimination efforts, political economy) and in the polity (institutions and transformation of the state though decentralisation or administrative reforms, legalisms and illegalisms, EU institutions and Europe in the world). 

The faculty consists of around forty permanent researchers drawn from political science, sociology, law, urban planning and philosophy who are actively involved in research and teaching. Some 40 junior researchers —PhD candidates and post-doctoral fellows— complete the academic team. About 40 associate researchers and nearly as many visiting fellows each year bear witness to the centre’s strong national and international appeal, as does the organisation of numerous scientific events, including international conferences. 

CEE members are involved in French, European, and global research networks, above all in political science, sociology and urban studies as well as thematic networks dedicated to public policy analysis, Europe, the environment, migration, and urbanism. They are also involved in cross-cutting research programmes at Sciences Po, such as LIEPP, MiDi, AxPo, AIRE, and Cities are back in Town. 

Firmly convinced that research can only thrive when combined with knowledge transmission, CEE members are committed to teaching, training, public engagement and welcoming junior researchers. 

History

The Center for European Studies was initially established as a transversal program at Sciences Po in 2005 to develop research on European issues. It became a research laboratory in 2009, and gained the status of “joint research unit” affiliated with Sciences Po and the CNRS (UMR 8239) in January 2014. In 2017, it was renamed Center for European Studies and Comparative Politics to reflect the expansion of its research scope.

The CEE has been successively led by:

• Renaud Dehousse (2005-2016)
• Florence Haegel (2016-2022)
• Florence Faucher (2022-...)

Distinctions

The work and expertise of CEE members, recognized nationally and internationally, are regularly honoured with awards. Among the most recent:

• Sandrine Lefranc, winner of the prix de la Fondation Mattei Dogan du livre de science politique awarded by the French political science association (AFSP), 2024
• Federico Varese, awarded the American Society of Criminology's Thorsten Sellin, Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck Award, 2024
• Marcela Alonso Ferreira, awarded a Writing-up Grant by the IJURR Foundation, 2024
• Isabelle Guinaudeau, awarded a CNRS Bronze Medal, 2024
• Patrick Le Galès, elected to the French Academy of Technologies, 2023 
• Isabelle Guinaudeau, awarded a Best Paper Prize at the ECPR 2023 general conference
• Aifang Ma, winner of a Laura Bassi scholarship 2023 and laureate of the CyberBRICS Fellowship Programme 2024
• Cassandre Rey-Thibault, awarded two prizes for her PhD thesis (prix spécial « Territoire » de Paris Est Sup et de la Communauté d'agglomération Paris-Vallée de la Marne, prix de thèse GRALE-CNFPT), 2023
• Soazig Dollet, awarded the MiDi Research Prize 2023
• Jessica Pidoux, recipient of an honorary mention at the first edition of the European Union Prize for Citizen Science, 2023
• Matthias Thiemann, author of an article in the "New Doctrines of Central Banks" issue of the Revue d’économie financière, awarded the Turgot - DFCG Prize for collective works, 2023
• Pierre Lascoumes, recipient of an Ethics Prize from the French NGO Anticor, 2023
• Laura Morales, recipient of the "Open Science of Research Data" prize from the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, and appointed “Domain Ambassador” for open data by RDA and EOSC Future, 2022
• Cornelia Woll, elected to the Academia Europaea, 2022
• Natasha Wunsch, recipient of the Best Article Award, European Communities Studies Association-AEI, 2020
• Myrtille Picaud, recipient of a Prize awarded by the French Foundation for Social Sciences Prize, 2020
• Nonna Mayer, recipient of the UACES (University Association for Contemporary European Studies) Lifetime Achievement Award, 2019
• Patrick Le Galès, elected to the Academia Europaea, 2019
• Sofia Wickberg, recipient of the second prize, "Academic Works" category, awarded by the "Stop Corruption" association, 2019
• Clément Boisseuil, USH/CDC Grand Prize for scientific article on social housing, 2019
• Marine Bourgeois, Mattei Dogan Foundation Thesis Prize awarded by AFSP, 2019
• Marine Bourgeois, Dalloz Thesis Prize in Political Science, 2018
• Patrick Le Galès, CNRS Silver Medal, 2018
• Elodie Druez, research grant on "Antisemitism and Xenophobia" from the City of Paris, 2017
• Antoine Courmont, special prize for a thesis on the city (PUCA/Aperau/CDC), 2017
• Clément Boisseuil, CNFPT Thesis Prize, 2017
• Patrick Le Galès, Best Article Prize from the Regional Studies Association, 2017
• Marine Bourgeois, USH/CDC special prize for scientific article on social housing, 2017

Other distinctions:

• Théodore Tallent appointed as a qualified member to the Greater Paris Development Council [FR], 2024
• Charlotte Halpern appointed to the Scientific Council of ADEME, the French Agency for Ecological Transition, 2024
• Florence Haegel elected Chair of Sciences Po's Academic Board, 2024
• Laura Morales appointed to the scientific board of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), 2023

Updated September 2024