Alain Messaoudi

Alain Messaoudi serves as Senior Lecturer in Contemporary History within the History Department at the University of Nantes. He maintains multi-institutional research affiliations as a member of the Centre for Research in International and Atlantic History (CRHIA), associate member of the Institute of African Worlds (IMAf) at EHESS Paris, and associate researcher at the Institute for Religious Pluralism and Atheism (IPRA).

His academic credentials include:

• Habilitation to supervise research (2019, University of Paris 1)
• PhD in History (2008, University of Paris 1)
• DEA in Maghreb Studies (1992, University Paris-3)
• Master's in History (1987, University Paris-1)
• agrégation in history (1991) and CAPES in history/geography (1989)

Professor Messaoudi's research centers on the socio-cultural dynamics of knowledge and art production in 19th-20th century North Africa, with particular focus on Tunisia under Ottoman and colonial rule. His work critically examines representation systems between Europe and the Arab world and the historical development of Orientalist discourse, analyzing how colonial power structures shaped cultural production and knowledge networks.

His career trajectory includes Associate Professor positions at EHESS (2003-2013) and the University of Valenciennes (1998-2003), building expertise that now informs his teaching of Contemporary History at Nantes. As a qualified PhD supervisor since 2019, he mentors graduate students through CRHIA's research ecosystem, which provides access to extensive Mediterranean historical archives and international scholarly networks.