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IAS UM6P Research Chair

Chair of
Transitions

Connecting science, policy, and society to address the challenges of global transitions and sustainable futures.

Sustainability Climate & Society Interdisciplinary Policy & Governance
Founded
2025
At IAS UM6P
Seminars
4+
In 2025
Events
12
International
Publications
3
In 2025
Ecological Transformation
Climate, biodiversity & resource transitions
Technoscience & Society
NBIC convergence, transhumanism & paradigm shifts
Policy & Governance
Science-policy interface & systemic change

A Platform for Interdisciplinary Reflection

The Chair of Transitions at IAS UM6P explores major environmental, technological, and societal transformations shaping contemporary societies. It brings together researchers and practitioners to examine long-term transitions related to sustainability, climate, resources, and development.

By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue across the sciences, humanities, and policy fields, the Chair serves as a platform for reflection, research, and collaboration on the challenges of global transitions.

01
Research Focus

Investigates key transition dynamics — ecological transformation, energy systems, resource management, and societal adaptation, connecting scientific knowledge with policy and governance.

02
Activities & Dialogue

Through seminars, workshops, and invited residencies, the Chair creates a space for sustained exchange between scholars, experts, and institutions across disciplines and regions.

03
Global Collaboration

Strengthens partnerships with international researchers and institutions working on sustainability and systemic change, supporting projects that combine scientific inquiry with societal impact.

Chair Lead

"Transitions are not just technical challenges, they are civilisational questions that demand new modes of thinking, across disciplines and across cultures."

Raphael Liogier
Raphael Liogier
Chair Lead · Sociologist
Sciences Po Aix · Univ. Paris-Nanterre
About the Director
Raphael Liogier
Sociologist · Chair Lead · Author

A sociologist specializing in societal transformations and the impact of technoscience, Raphael Liogier is Professor at Sciences Po Aix-en-Provence and the University of Paris-Nanterre, and the author of several books on contemporary modernity. His work bridges academic research and public intellectual debate on the profound shifts reshaping our societies.

Publications & Seminar Series

In 2025, the Chair of Transitions contributed to publications, editorial initiatives, and a sustained internal seminar series, advancing critical, interdisciplinary perspectives on contemporary transformations.

Publications
Feb 24
UM6P Press
White Paper on Transitions
UM6P Press · 2025
Foundational framework on multidimensional transitions, establishing the Chair's conceptual basis for research on contemporary transformations.
Apr 7
Journal Issue
Special Issue on Transhumanisms
France Forum · Issue No. 422
Critical exploration of transhumanist movements. A contribution to public and intellectual debate on NBIC convergence and the future of the human.
Forthcoming
Article
Article by Liogier & Jaouat
Forthcoming · 2025
A collaborative scholarly contribution advancing the Chair's research agenda on paradigm shifts and societal transformations.
Seminar Series at IAS
1
Feb 24, 2025 · Inaugural
Thinking Transitions
Launch of the Chair seminar series, a foundational session establishing the conceptual and methodological framework for studying major contemporary transitions.
2
June 23, 2025
A Brief History of Transhumanisms
Critical exploration of transhumanist movements, tracing their intellectual genealogy and examining their implications for science, society, and governance.
3
May 15, 2025
Paradigm Shifts & the Cosmos
Interdisciplinary reflections on cosmology, exploring how shifts in our understanding of the universe reframe scientific and philosophical paradigms.
4
2025
Wicked Problems in African Agriculture
Addressing structural agricultural challenges in Africa through interdisciplinary analysis of systemic, entangled problems at the intersection of ecology, society, and policy.

International Engagements 2025

In 2025, the Chair of Transitions participated in a broad range of international conferences, keynote lectures, and institutional events, expanding global visibility and fostering dialogue across disciplines and regions.

Jan 17, 2025
Masterclass for Generali — UM6P Paris
Executive seminar on contemporary transitions, exploring how major societal shifts affect institutions and business environments.
Feb 3–10, 2025
6th International Conference on Bön — Kathmandu
Lecture on Westernization of spiritualities — situating global spiritual movements within broader frameworks of cultural transition.
Feb 15, 2025
Annual Congress of Muslims of France — Paris
Interdisciplinary reflections on cosmology and contemporary religious transitions in secular societies.
Feb 21, 2025
International Campus of Excellence — UM6P
Conference on NBIC convergence and White Paper presentation, connecting the Chair's research to UM6P's broader science and innovation ecosystem.
Feb 24, 2025
Keynote — Peugeot Frères Group
Lecture on transitions in technical object consumption, exploring how societal shifts reshape industrial and economic systems.
Mar 10, 2025
African Book Fair — Paris
Discussion on African political dynamics and their intersections with broader transitions in knowledge production and cultural identity.
Mar 13, 2025
Book Talk: Anxiety Culture — Paris
Columbia Alliance academic discussion connecting psychological and cultural analyses of contemporary anxiety to broader societal transitions.
Mar 27, 2025
Podcast with Natasha Vita-More
Dialogue on transhumanism and technoscience, examining the philosophical and ethical dimensions of human enhancement and artificial life.
May 13–14, 2025
Hack the Future of Work — UM6P
Participation in a career and future-of-work initiative, exploring how labour transitions and automation reshape social structures and identities.
June 21, 2025
Gnaoua Festival — Essaouira
Moderation of roundtables on culture and society — examining how artistic and spiritual traditions navigate contemporary cultural transitions.
Oct 6–10, 2025
ALife 2025 Congress — Kyoto
Contribution on AI and artificial life at the international artificial life congress, connecting philosophy of mind to emerging computational paradigms.
Nov 7, 2025
UM6P Science Week
Participation in a high-level academic forum at UM6P, showcasing the Chair's interdisciplinary research on transitions to the broader academic community.
Join IAS UM6P

Collaborate with
Chair of Transitions

Engage with the Chair's research agenda on global transitions. Apply for a residency, propose a collaboration, or attend our next seminar.

Apply Now Fall 2026 Session