David Lessault

David Lessault is a CNRS Researcher (Chargé de Recherche) with HDR (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches) at the ESO-Angers laboratory, affiliated with the University of Angers and Angers - ESTHUA school. He specializes in geography with a focus on international mobility and migration studies. His research spans multiple geographic scales from everyday to biographical, local to international, and individual to family levels.

• Current Director of the ESO-Angers site (since 01/09/2025)
• Co-facilitator of the 'Practical experiences and representations of space' axis at UMR ESO (since 2019)
• Principal investigator for multiple research projects including CIRCUS (2021-2024) and CAMPOS (2020-2023)

Lessault's research focuses on spatial mobility across different scales, with two primary lines of investigation: urban recompositions in Dakar (Senegal) and the dynamics of change in rural territories of Western France. He has pioneered innovative approaches to representing mobility phenomena through collaborations with comic strip artists (Atelier Kawa), creating accessible scientific communication that bridges academic research and public understanding. His work examines international migrations, circulations, and their impact on territorial transformations.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on methodological innovation in migration research, particularly in cosmopolitan fieldwork settings and low-density rural areas. Lessault has developed expertise in mixed methods approaches that combine statistical analysis with diverse fieldwork techniques, especially in Senegalese contexts and French rural landscapes. His research increasingly incorporates visual and narrative forms of knowledge dissemination, reflecting his commitment to making social science research accessible beyond academic circles.

Lessault has led multiple significant research projects including CIRCUS (European mobility to Africa), CAMPOS (Western countryside facing international circulation), and CAMIGRI (French countryside in international migration dynamics). He has supervised doctoral students and coordinated academic programs, including the Master 2 Research 'International Migrations, Spaces and Society' at the University of Poitiers (2012-2015). His collaborative work with institutions in Senegal demonstrates his commitment to international research partnerships.

He is actively involved in scientific mediation, particularly through his innovative work with comic books to communicate migration research. His upcoming HDR defense scheduled for March 11, 2025, at Angers - ESTHUA will further establish his research trajectory and contributions to the field of migration geography.