Research: Stephanie Balme appointed as the new CERI Director

Stephanie Balme, Research Director and Academic Freedom referent at Sciences Po, has been elected Director of Sciences Po's Center for International Studies (CERI). Stephanie Balme is the first female director of this joint Sciences Po - CNRS research unit and took up her post on 2 January 2024, succeeding Alain Dieckhoff (CNRS) who had held the position since 2013. 

A director dedicated to achieving excellence

As head of CERI, Stephanie Balme will lead a policy of scientific excellence in international relations and comparative politics, focusing on the professional integration of young researchers, the development of major ANR and ERC projects, the integration of the laboratory into innovative national and international academic networks, and an efficient scientific mediation strategy. Following the laboratory's founding principles, she also hopes that CERI will remain at the forefront in welcoming scientific refugees.

"I am sincerely grateful to my colleagues at Sciences Po and the CNRS for their trust. I approach this mandate with the enthusiasm and sense of commitment that they know me for, while being aware of the challenges linked to the exercise of the profession of international researcher in a torn global space. To promote CERI's excellence, I'm delighted to be able to count on the exceptional collective intelligence of the team, as well as the support of the two deputy scientific directors, Laurence Louër (FNSP) and Hugo Meijer (CNRS)", comments Stephanie Balme.

An international career combining research, teaching and scientific diplomacy

Stephanie Balme is an internationally-renowned specialist in the political and judicial systems of post-Mao China and Sino-European relations, whose career has been marked by extensive international experience. Having worked on three continents and lived in China for thirteen years, she holds a PhD in political science and an HDR (habilitation to direct research) in law.

She has held various research and teaching positions at institutions such as the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Tsinghua University in Beijing. She was also a visiting professor at UQAM (Montreal), Ashoka (New Delhi), UBC (Vancouver) and Columbia University Law School (New York). In addition, she acted as a consultant for several international and European organisations.

In 2017, she broadened her field of expertise to include scientific diplomacy during a professional experience with the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. From 2018 to 2023, Stephanie Balme was the Dean of Sciences Po's Undergraduate College. As such, she was committed to pedagogical innovation, worked to bring together humanities, social sciences and hard sciences, and strengthened links between teaching and research. She has been a professor at Sciences Po's Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) since 2012, sits on the scientific councils of IHEDN and IRSEM, and has just been appointed associate researcher at the International Council for Science.  

CERI has been at the heart of her academic career since her thesis under the supervision of Guy Hermet, political scientist and former director of CERI (1976-1985), a leading specialist in Latin America and the democratic transitions of authoritarian regimes. Under the influence of Guy Hermet, Stephanie Balme's early research focused on the analysis of communist regimes in Asia. She is currently working on the affirmation of China's scientific and technological power. Her research interests include the impact of China's scientific diplomacy on international relations, thus contributing to the ongoing research on science in international relations and the global governance of science. In 2019, she co-founded the European Science Diplomacy Initiative (ESDI) with Pierre Lemonde and Enrico Letta.

CERI, leading centre for international relations and comparative politics

In 1952, CERI was the first research centre created at Sciences Po. Initially a documentation unit set up within the FNSP, it stands out for its unique tradition of analysis of global international relations and comparative politics, based on interdisciplinarity and fieldwork, particularly in areas now called the Global South. It brings together political scientists, sociologists, historians, anthropologists, geographers and economists. Year after year, it became a world-renowned centre of excellence.

CERI examines several fields: not only diplomacy and relations between states on a global scale (cooperation, conflicts, negotiations, global governance), but also political societies by regional or cultural area from a comparative perspective (Middle-East, Americas, Africa, “Europes”, the former Soviet world, Asia).

As a joint Sciences Po/CNRS research unit, CERI employs over 70 researchers and 70 doctoral and postdoctoral students. It also welcomes around 50 guest researchers and associate experts. All are supported by a supervisory team of around 15 people.

CERI researchers are also involved in a wide range of teaching activities at the College, master's courses and doctoral programmes, on topics such multilateralism, states diplomatic tools, populism, Latin American metropolises, natural disasters, violence outbursts, transnational religious networks, migration and citizenship issues in Africa…