Jean-Marc Serme

Jean-Marc Serme serves as Assistant Professor in Indigenous Studies and US Studies at the University of Western Brittany (UBO), France. He is affiliated with the Heritage and Creation in Text and Image (HCTI, EA 4249) research laboratory and acts as Delegate for North America at IdA-Brest, the local branch of the Institute of the Americas.

Serme's research explores the Hawaiian language revitalization movement in the context of sovereignty struggles. He investigates how Hawaiian language immersion schools, when integrated into public education, create confrontations between knowledge systems. This work connects educational practices with broader social and cultural dynamics, reshaping epistemologies and fostering innovation in Indigenous and non-Indigenous educational methodologies.

His publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on Indigenous studies, particularly Hawaiian and Chamoru communities. Key themes include language revitalization, sovereignty movements, educational equity, and the interplay between cultural preservation and state systems. His work spans historical, political, and sociolinguistic analyses, highlighting tensions between legal frameworks and lived inequalities.

Within HCTI, Serme leads the research project “Structures and systems in the Americas” alongside Marie-Christine Michaud. This project examines Indigenous resistance, urban Indigenous identities, and the structural systems shaping the Americas, contributing to decolonial scholarship and educational innovation.