Centre d'études et de recherches internationales (CERI)

Centre d'études et de recherches internationales (CERI)
Name	Centre d'études et de recherches internationales (CERI)
Established	1954
Type	Research institute
Affiliation	Sciences Po
City	Paris
Country	France

Contents

Centre d'études et de recherches internationales (CERI) is a Paris-based research institute affiliated with Sciences Po focusing on comparative studies of international relations, political science, area studies, and security studies. Founded in the mid-20th century, the institute has engaged with scholars connected to institutions such as Collège de France, École normale supérieure (Paris), University of Cambridge, Harvard University, and London School of Economics. CERI hosts multidisciplinary research bridging topics relevant to European Union, NATO, United Nations, African Union, and regional organizations across Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.

History

CERI was created in 1954 during the post-World War II reconstruction period alongside initiatives like the Marshall Plan, the establishment of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the evolution of North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Early directors and affiliates included scholars who had connections with École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris, and international figures associated with League of Nations legacies. Over decades CERI responded to events such as the Suez Crisis, the Algerian War, the Cold War, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, and the Arab Spring by adapting research programs and engaging with policy debates in forums like Paris Peace Forum and EU summits including meetings of the European Council.

CERI operates within the institutional framework of Sciences Po and coordinates with governing bodies such as the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and advisory committees linked to foundations like Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques and private donors in the tradition of partnerships found at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Bertelsmann Stiftung. The institute's governance comprises a director, research fellows, doctoral candidates, and administrative staff who interact with external boards similar to those at Max Planck Society and American Council on Education. CERI maintains ethics and oversight practices comparable to those at European Research Council and collaborates with consortia following guidelines from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

CERI’s thematic programs cover comparative politics and international topics including studies on European integration, transatlantic relations, US foreign policy, Russian Federation politics, Chinese foreign policy, Japanese politics, Indo-Pacific strategy, Sub-Saharan Africa, Maghreb politics, Middle East peace process, Latin American development, migration crises, global governance, climate change negotiations, terrorism, cybersecurity, and nuclear proliferation. Methodological approaches draw on comparative frameworks used in work on Democracy in America, case studies like Iranian Revolution and Rwandan Genocide, and field research traditions exemplified by studies of Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Vietnam War. Programs often take the form of seminars, working groups, and long-term comparative projects connected to archives such as those at Bibliothèque nationale de France and collaborations with centers like Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Center for Strategic and International Studies.

CERI produces monographs, edited volumes, and working papers distributed through platforms similar to Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and university presses associated with Columbia University and Yale University. It supports journals and series that engage audiences familiar with publications such as Foreign Affairs, Journal of Peace Research, International Organization, European Journal of International Relations, and Politique étrangère. The institute curates policy briefs addressing audiences at European Commission, Council of Europe, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and national ministries including Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France). CERI researchers contribute chapters to edited volumes on events like the Treaty of Maastricht, Treaty of Lisbon, Sykes–Picot Agreement and analyses of treaties such as Treaty of Versailles.

CERI supervises doctoral research and offers postgraduate training integrated with Sciences Po degrees, doctoral schools resembling those at Sorbonne University and exchange programs with University of Oxford, Princeton University, Yale University, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, and Free University of Berlin. Curriculum covers comparative seminars, fieldwork methods, and language training tied to area specialists on Arabic language, Mandarin Chinese, Russian language, Farsi, Spanish language, and Portuguese language. Students prepare dissertations engaging case studies such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, Falklands War, Iraq War, and historical comparisons including Napoleonic Wars consequences.

Notable researchers and alumni associated with CERI include academics and public intellectuals who have engaged with institutions such as Collège de France, École Polytechnique, Harvard Kennedy School, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, and policy roles in administrations linked to Élysée Palace, Palais Bourbon, European Commission, United Nations Security Council, and national diplomatic services. Alumni have participated in initiatives like the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), Oslo Accords negotiations, and advisory roles in responses to crises such as the Syrian Civil War, Libyan crisis, and Venezuelan presidential crisis.

Category:Research institutes in France Category:Sciences Po