Mélanie LOPEZ

Mélanie Lopez is a Professor of Public Law at the University of Artois, affiliated with the EGASS Faculty and the CoTraLiS research team within the Texts & Cultures laboratory. She holds a Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR) in intercultural studies. Her work focuses on comparative public law between France and Spain, with an emphasis on constitutional law, fundamental rights, Church-State relations, and health law. She has organized numerous conferences and authored over 30 publications, including monographs on religious freedom and Spanish political transitions. Key roles include Vice-Dean of EGASS Faculty, Research Ethics Officer, and expert evaluator for academic institutions. Her teaching spans administrative law, European legal systems, and ethics in public management.

Education:

• PhD in Public Law, University of Paris XI (2010)
• Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches, Université Paris Cité (2023)

Research Interests: Her studies explore legal frameworks shaping religious diversity, democratic transitions in Spain, and the interplay between citizenship, vulnerability, and cultural identity. Recent work analyzes the impact of language/culture courses for Spanish immigrants’ integration and the legal challenges of philosophical beliefs in France.

Teaching & Leadership: Currently teaches administrative law, comparative Spanish legal systems, and ethics in social services management. She has received teaching innovation awards for integrating legal design into curricula. Holds leadership roles in university research ethics and European church-state research networks.

Grants & Advising: Supervises four ongoing PhD theses on topics like religious regulation, bioethics, and constitutional memory. Served as rapporteur for multiple doctoral defenses, including studies on Spain’s civil war memory and digital health ethics.

Labs/Teams: Leads the CoTraLiS research group (Cultural and Religious Transitions in Legal and Social Contexts) and contributes to the Institute for the Study of Religious Facts.