A Malian ICS doctoral student is conducting research in Paris on human rights and immigration in the Spanish and French systems
Ernest Thera is undertaking a research stay at the Center for Research and Studies on Human Rights of the Paris West University Nanterre La Défense
As part of his thesis, Ernest Thera, a Malian doctoral student within the Institute for Culture and Society at the University of Navarra, is conducting research at Paris West University Nanterre La Défense.
Specifically, Ernest focuses on the issue of human rights and immigration. He compares the French and Spanish cases and makes special reference to immigrant identities in both countries. To tackle this project, he is working with the head of the Center for Research and Studies on Human Rights (CREDOF), Véronique Champeil-Desplats, who is also Professor of Public Law and Vice Dean of the Doctoral School of Law and Political Science.
"This comparative study is very interesting because France has extensive experience in immigration and, in the last 15 years, Spain has received more immigrants than any other country, which has forced it to take steps to step up to the situation," he explains.
Synergies between researchersAs Ernest added, "With this research stay, I hope to have access to French bibliographical references on immigration rights and establish contact with other researchers that study the same subject, with whom I can exchange ideas and from whom I can learn."
Ernest appreciates the opportunity to work toward an international doctorate, which "allows one to have experiences at universities in other countries, to learn other ways of approaching problems and to innovate." In that sense, he notes that it is not only good for the development of young researchers but also for academic centers themselves: "It generates an exchange of knowledge in the world of research, which turns out results."
Notably, the Faculty of Law and Political Science at Paris West University Nanterre La Défense, home to the research center where Ernest is conducting his research, is one of the most prestigious in its field. Many notable figures have passed through its halls, including Nicolas Sarkozy, former president of France, Dominique De Villepin, former Prime Minister of France, and Christine Lagarde, president of the International Monetary Fund.