Stéphane Lacroix

Stéphane Lacroix serves as Associate Professor of Political Science at Sciences Po and Senior Researcher at Sciences Po's Centre de Recherches Internationales (CERI), where he co-directs the Chair for the study of religion. His institutional affiliations reflect deep integration within Sciences Po's research ecosystem, spanning teaching, research leadership, and policy engagement across multiple platforms.

His research focuses on the transformations of contemporary Islam, with particular expertise in Salafism and Islamism, the religious policies of Arab states, and the evolution of authoritarianism in the Arab world. Geographically concentrated on Egypt and the Gulf states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE), his work examines:

• State manipulation of religious institutions for political control
• Fragmentation and adaptation of Islamic movements under repression
• Comparative dynamics of religious dissent across authoritarian regimes
• Impact of the Arab uprisings on religious-state relations

Lacroix's publications demonstrate consistent thematic development since 2010, evolving from Saudi-focused studies (Awakening Islam, 2011) toward broader regional analyses of religious transformation. His recent work (2018-2024) increasingly addresses counter-radicalization policies and the post-uprising trajectories of Islamic movements, reflecting shifting regional realities while maintaining core theoretical frameworks.

As co-director of Sciences Po's Chair for the study of religion, he oversees institutional programming connecting academic research with policy debates. His current projects—PREVEX and ReligiS—secure research funding through European and international partnerships, supporting fieldwork across the MENA region and Balkans. He actively mentors graduate students through research workshops and thesis supervision.

Lacroix participates in CERI research groups on nationalism/religion and state/political regimes, contributing to interdisciplinary collaborations. His leadership in the Chair for religion facilitates cross-faculty dialogue between political scientists, sociologists, and historians examining contemporary religious phenomena.