Marie DURRIEU, Class of 2020

>Can you tell us about your academic background?

I was in my penultimate year of high school, in the science stream at the Lycée Français de Barcelone, when I learned about the existence of Sciences Po’s regional campuses, which combine international openness, a multidisciplinary approach, and dynamic student life. I had reservations about leaving the hard sciences for the social sciences, but the discovery of Sciences Po and the Euro-American programme in Reims convinced me to make the change.

I spent two richly educational years on the Reims campus, discovering Science Po’s diverse disciplines, after which international relations caught my attention. Before definitively choosing my Master's degree, I did an intense and unusual third year at the University of Texas in Austin, where I chose to study philosophy – a discipline I love and which I had put aside after high school. Eventually, I realised that I did indeed want to focus on international relations.

I hesitated for a long time between a Master's degree at Sciences Po’s Paris School of International Affairs or a Master's degree at the School of Research, which offers a Political Science curriculum with a specialisation in international relations. The research path ultimately seemed the way to combine my vocation – international affairs – with my interest in philosophical conceptual analysis. For two years, I followed the Master's programme at the Sciences Po School of Research, which combines learning about social science research and methodology, acquiring a foundation in political science, and deepening one’s understanding of international affairs.

In addition, I was required to write a research paper as part of my Master's degree. I chose to work on the role of humiliation in international relations, under the supervision of Professor Frédéric Charillon. I was able to examine a subject little explored within the discipline, to conduct fieldwork in Israel and Palestine, and to write a thesis that was subsequently published in book form by L'Harmattan (*). It was an exciting experience that was pivotal for my subsequent career.

Once you’ve tasted research, you’ll never leave it. When I entered the Master's programme at the School of Research I wasn’t aiming to do a PhD, but I was so passionate about my subject that I ended up deciding to pursue a doctorate. I’m currently in the second year of my PhD and I’m a contractual doctoral student associated with the Institute for Strategic Research at the Military School (IRSEM).

What did your years of study at the Sciences Po School of Research bring you?

For me, the School of Research was a turning point on several levels.

First, during my initial three years at Sciences Po I gained a very broad base of knowledge and skills in the social sciences. However, I felt the need to specialise and go deeper. By enrolling in the School of Research, I fulfilled this desire in two ways. On the one hand, the teaching allowed me to enhance my understanding of certain ideas and concepts in Political Science and International Relations. On the other hand, I gained in-depth knowledge of research methods and tools that now enable me to independently study certain international issues. For example, since leaving the School of Research, I have published several articles analysing international news events – my ability to analyse international affairs stems largely from the training I received.

Secondly, when I joined the School of Research, I didn’t want to do a PhD (I wasn't sure where I was going to end up after graduation!). However, I’m currently in the second year of my thesis; it is therefore clear that the School of Research helped me to find my way. I am extremely grateful to the teachers of this course, especially Professor Guillaume Devin who directed the Master’s course and Professor Frédéric Charillon who supervised my thesis, for helping me to find my vocation.

What memories do you have of your school, your class, your teachers?

I feel that the School of Research is a special little microcosm at Sciences Po. Research is a path that is often misunderstood by those who don’t choose it, and so the School of Research is a small, self-contained universe. It's a world where theoretical debates take place at the coffee machine and lunches are animated by discussions on the latest books we’ve read. Our teachers wrote our textbooks and lead the conferences we attend. It’s a universe where we’re constantly trying to understand the world around us and how it works – one that is very often stimulating and sometimes unnerving.

What is your current role?

I’m currently a PhD student and teacher.

I’m working on a thesis exploring the function of humiliation in international relations, particularly in the Middle East. I work under the co-supervision of Professors Frédéric Charillon and Thomas Lindemann, at the Centre Michel de l'Hospital research laboratory. My doctoral contract is financed by the DGRIS (department of the Ministry of Defence). I am, therefore, an associate doctoral student at the Institute for Strategic Research at the Military School.

In addition, I combine my research with multiple teaching activities. I teach several courses in Political Science and International Relations on the Reims campus. It is especially meaningful for me to be on the other side of the same classroom my academic journey began. I was in these students’ shoes not too long ago and I’m thrilled to be able to share my passion with them. I also teach an introductory lecture course in Political Science at the University of Clermont Ferrand Auvergne – a completely different experience, but just as influential and enriching. In addition, I have several other teaching projects coming up, including a course that combines negotiation simulation and International Relations Theory that I will be offering for the first time this summer at the Sciences Po Summer School. I would never have imagined teaching, but actually it’s an activity I find extremely stimulating and I recommend it to anyone who is embarking on the solitary journey of a doctorate.

(*) Publications 

Marie Durrieu : Du conflit israélo-palestinien au nucléaire iranien : l'humiliation, la variable oubliée des négociations. Collection Bibliothèque de l'iReMMO - Maghreb, Moyen Orient - Edition l'Harmattan (Septembre 2021)

Marie Durrieu : « Nous avons été humiliés » : le discours du Kremlin sur les années 1990 et la crise russo-ukrainienne, Article in The Conversation (27 février 2022)

Learn more

• About Master’s in Political Science, Programme in International Relations

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[ March 2022 ]