Didier Fassin

Didier Fassin is the James D. Wolfensohn Professor of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton) and holds a permanent chair in Moral Questions and Social Issues at the Collège de France. His roles include Director of Studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris since 1999. He previously served as Visiting Professor at Princeton University and the University of Hong Kong, and held the Annual Chair in Public Health at the Collège de France (2019–2020).

Education includes a Doctorate in Medicine (1982), Master in Public Health (1986), PhD in Social Science (1988), and accreditations in Public Health and Social Sciences. His research focuses on political anthropology, public health, humanitarianism, migration, and the intersection of ethics with social institutions.

Key research programs include studies on undocumented immigrants, AIDS in South Africa, and the biopolitics of crises. He coordinates global inquiries like the Nomis Foundation’s Crisis project (2018–2023).

His awards include the Nomis Distinguished Scientist Award (2018), Gold Medal in Anthropology (2016), and Victor Turner Prize (2019). He frequently engages in public discourse through media and institutions, advocating for the social sciences’ role in addressing contemporary societal challenges.

Advising and grants highlight his leadership in interdisciplinary projects, including the ERC-funded ‘Critical Moral Anthropology’ (2009–2012) and Mellon-funded asylum studies in South Africa. His work spans academic and applied spheres, influencing policy and public understanding of inequality, justice, and human rights.