Julien Levesque

Julien Levesque is a Temporary Teaching Fellow in Indian Studies at the University of Zurich, where he teaches Qualitative Research Methods and Academic Writing in Area Studies (FS23). Previously, he served as Visiting Assistant Professor at Ashoka University's Department of Political Science and Head Researcher of the Politics and Society division at New Delhi's Centre de Sciences Humaines. He earned his PhD in Political Science from the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS), conducting doctoral research at the Centre for South Asian Studies (CEIAS).

Education

• PhD in Political Science, School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS), Centre for South Asian Studies (CEIAS)

Research Interests

Levesque's scholarship centers on socio-political dynamics within South Asian Muslim communities, with three interconnected pillars: Islam-politics interactions in South Asia (particularly Sufism as identity marker), nationalism and identity formation (focusing on Sindhi ethno-nationalism in Pakistan), and minority politics/representation (currently examining caste-based mobilization among Indian Muslims). His fieldwork in Sindh province analyzes how cultural institutions like museums mediate identity politics, while his India-focused work investigates organizational forms (Anjuman, Jami'at) navigating caste within Muslim communities, bridging political sociology and postcolonial studies.

Publication Trends

Analysis of Levesque's 15 most recent publications (2022-2025) reveals a methodical evolution from monographic analysis of Sindhi nationalism (Pour une autre idée du Pakistan, 2022) toward granular studies of Muslim caste organizations in India. His work consistently employs ethnographic-historical methods to explore how associational forms mediate political representation, with a distinctive thread examining Sufi identity as both cultural resource and political strategy. Recent outputs (2023-2025) increasingly focus on affirmative action policies, quota systems, and the interplay between religious and caste identities in minority representation.