Florence Graezer Bideau

Florence Graezer Bideau is an Adjunct Professor at EPFL's College of Humanities and School of Architecture, where she heads the Heritage, Anthropology and Technologies Research Group. She holds a PhD in History and Civilization from EHESS Paris and directs the Minor in Area and Cultural Studies. Her academic appointments include Visiting Professorship at Politecnico di Torino and membership in international research committees like EDAR and AISFL.

Research Focus: Her interdisciplinary work bridges anthropology, urban studies, and heritage politics, with regional expertise in China, Switzerland, and Southeast Asia. Core themes include:

• Cultural policy and power dynamics in China
• UNESCO heritage processes and intangible cultural heritage
• Urban resistance and innovation in global cities
• Ethnographic studies of maker communities and new towns

Publications Analysis: Her recent articles demonstrate sustained focus on heritage deconstruction, urban transformation, and sociopolitical dimensions of cultural preservation. Key trends include critical examinations of industrial heritage reuse, decolonial approaches to Chinese heritage policies, and anthropological studies of urbanization patterns.

Awards:

• Best Teaching Award, EPFL Humanities Program (2022)
• Koos Bosma Prize in Planning History (2022)

Research Leadership: Directs SNSF-funded projects on maker movements in China and UNESCO heritage implementation. Supervises doctoral theses on urban memory, heritage politics, and extended urbanization. Leads international collaborations including the SNIS-funded 'Mapping Controversial Memories' project across Beijing, Mexico City, and Rome.

Affiliations: Coordinates the Heritage and Patrimoine research committee (AISFL), collaborates with Politecnico di Torino's China Room lab, and partners with UNESCO on intangible heritage safeguarding frameworks.