CEPEL

Laura MICHEL

Career history

  • Since February 2005: Montpellier University, Associate Professor of Political Science. Researcher at CEPEL.
  • 2003–2005: Montpellier 1 University, Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department.
  • 2002–2003: RTE (Electricity Transmission Network)/CNDP (National Commission for Public Debate): Member of the panel of scrutineers for the debate recommended by the CNDP to the project owner RTE (very high voltage line in the Lot department).
  • Observatory of Public Policies in Southern Europe (OPPES): research fellow.
  • 1998–2002: ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency) – Paris. Doctoral research contract.
  • 1997–1998: AGOH – OH Group, Paris. Consultant. Research and consulting (environmental conflict management) on behalf of various industrial groups (Ciments Français/Italcementi/Calcia, Lafarge Ciments, Total).
  • 1994–1997 CNFPT (National Center for Local Government) – Paris. Research and study officer at the Local Government Observatory.

Degrees

  • 1998-2003 PhD Political Science from Montpellier 1 University.
  • Thesis: Industry, the environment, and the negotiation of public policy. The case of the cement industry, supervised by Jean-Pierre Gaudin,
    Highest honors, with unanimous praise from the jury. Jury: Paul ALLIES, Professor of Political Science (Chair), Bernard BARRAQUE, Director of Research at the CNRS, Jean-Pierre GAUDIN, Professor of Political Science (thesis supervisor), Patrick HASSENTEUFEL, Professor of Political Science (rapporteur), Danny TROM, Research Fellow at the CNRS (rapporteur).
  • 1993 Master's degree in Political Science, "Local Government and Local Administration," Sciences Po Bordeaux.
  • 1992 Degree from Sciences Po Bordeaux, Political and Social Sciences Section

Awards, distinctions, and coordination or participation in research projects

  • Grand Prix for theses from the Montpellier Faculty of Law.
  • Surfood program (Sustainable urban food systems), funded by Agropolis Fondation, coordinated by Nicolas Bricas (CIRAD, UMR Moïsa), 2013-2015, co-leader of the "Governance" research area.
  • GEDI (European Government of Industries) program, funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) – coordinated by Andy Smith (SPIRIT, UMR 5116, IEP Bordeaux), 2009–2012.
  • GOUVINNOV project (Territorial Governance and Rural Development), funded by the PSDR Program, 2009-2011, scientific coordinator for CEPEL.
  • PAECE program (For an ecological approach to electoral behavior), funded by the French National Research Agency – coordinated by Jean-Yves Dormagen (CEPEL, UMR 5112, Montpellier), 2006–2009.
  • Research report on the Fondation de France's "New Patrons" program, funded by the Fondation de France under the direction of Emmanuel Négrier (CEPEL-CNRS), Paris, 2005.
  • A debate without consequences? An analysis of the political and social effects of the local debate on strengthening the Lot's power supply, funded by Réseau de transport électrique (RTE), co-authored with Loïc Blondiaux (CERAPS), Isabelle Ras (GRETS), and Eric Drocourt (GRETS), January 2004.
  • Programme entitled "Influential groups and decision-making processes in the field of defense: comparative approaches," edited by William Genieys (CEPEL-CNRS) for the Centre des Hautes Etudes de l'Armement (CHEAr), Ministry of Defense, Paris, June 2003.

Administrative responsibilities, research, and promotion

  • Co-founder of the Master 2 in Student Affairs and Counseling in 2008 and co-director until 2013.
  • Director of the Master 1 program in political science since 2007.
  • Co-supervision of theses: Romain Suchet, Nuclear management in crisis. A study based on the representations of crisis managers, (supervisor: J.-Y. Dormagen), defended on January 9, 2014.
  • Co-supervision of theses: Nicolas Ferran, Local democracy in Montpellier municipal executives (1977-2011). Clientelistic (re)configurations of municipal services, (supervisor: J.-Y. Dormagen), defended on January 15, 2014.
  • Co-supervision of theses: Ludovic Mariotti, Healthcare reform through the lens of associative structures: The stakes and challenges of reform for associations in the medical-social sector (supervisor: J.-Y. Dormagen), in progress.
  • Participation in various thesis committees.
  • Participation in promotional conferences: e.g., Participatory Democracy and Environmental Dialogue, organized by the Ministry of the Environment, May 5, 2015, National Museum of Natural History.
  • Peer reviewing for journals: Metropolises, South Pole, Participations, Government and Public Action, Geography, Economy, and Society.

Interactions with the environment

  • 2014-2015 Project management assistance for Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole (MMM): P2A Project (Agricultural and Food Policy), coordinated by Christophe Soulard, INRA.
  • 2012-2013 Various collaborations with the City of Montpellier on participatory democracy, Organization of the event: Local authorities and participation charters National Day for the Exchange of Experiences, Montpellier, March 22, 2013, Faculty of Law and Political Science.
  • 2013-2015 Appointed as guarantor of consultation on the new station project (Réseau Ferré de France, RFF).
  • Since 2010 Member of the Institut de la Concertation: Organization of various seminars in Montpellier, participation in working group meetings (e.g., participation guarantors).

The five most representative books or book chapters

  • Michel L., (2012), Industry and Sustainable Development, L’Harmattan.
  • Carter C., Cazals C., Hildemeir J., Michel L., Villareal A., (2014), "Sustainable Development policy: 'Competitiveness' in all but name," in Jullien B. and Smith A. (eds), The EU's Government of Industries: Omnipresent, Incomplete and Depoliticized, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
  • Blondiaux L., Michel L., (2009), "La mise en débat des dispositifs d'expertise" (Debating expert assessment mechanisms) in Boy D. and Brugidou M. (eds.), Le débat public, un risque démocratique ?(Public debate: a risk to democracy?), Paris, Lavoisier.
  • Michel L., (2008) "The French Cement Industry and the Environment," in Genieys and Smyrl, eds., Accounting for Change, New York, Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Gaudin J.-P., Michel L., (2006), "Very high voltage" and the sciences of public debate, (in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Gaudin), in Ihl O. (ed.), The "sciences" of public action, PUG.

The 5 most representative articles

  • Michel L., (2015), "Learning participatory standards in industrial environmental policies: The case of the cement industry,"Politiques et Management public, 32/1, January-March.
  • With Rey-Valette H., Chia E., Mathé S., Michel L., Nougarèdes B., Soulard C., Maurel P., Jarrige F., Barbe E., Guiheneuf P.Y., (2014), "How to analyze territorial governance? Testing an interpretative framework," Géographie Économie Société, 16, pp. 65-89.
  • Vimal R. Mathevet R., Michel L., "Between expertise, technocracy, and stakeholder dynamics: is it possible to collectively devise an integrated nature management policy?" Natures, Sciences, Sociétés, 4/2012.
  • Genieys W., Michel L., (2006), "Beyond the military-industrial complex: the role of a sectoral elite in the Leclerc tank program," Revue française de sociologie, 47-1.
  • Genieys W., Michel L. (2005), "The invention of Leclerc Tank," French Politics, 3.