Michela Barbot

Michela Barbot is a Research Professor at CNRS and ENS Paris-Saclay, serving as Director of the Research Unit IDHE.S (Institutions et Dynamiques Historiques de l'Economie et de la Société). She holds advanced degrees from Bocconi University (Milan) and Sciences Po Paris, with a distinguished career spanning prestigious institutions including CNRS, ENS Paris-Saclay, Sciences Po Paris, and Bocconi University.

Her educational background includes:

• M.A. in Economics (DES: Economic and Social Disciplines) - Bocconi University, Milan
• PhD in Social and Economic History - Bocconi University, Milan
• HDR (Habilitée à diriger des recherches) - Sciences Po Paris Law School

Professor Barbot's research program examines the historical and comparative dimensions of legal and economic institutions from the 16th to 21st centuries. Her work integrates theoretical frameworks from Law in Action, Old and New Institutionalisms, Law and Economics, and Historical Comparative Sociology with empirical investigations of property rights systems, market regulation, and urban development. She has developed innovative approaches to understanding how legal frameworks shape economic behavior and social organization across different historical contexts and geographical scales.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent scholarly trajectory focused on the interplay between legal institutions and economic practices. Her work demonstrates how historical analysis of valuation systems, property rights, and market regulation can inform contemporary debates about economic justice, sustainable development, and the governance of cultural heritage. Barbot's research often bridges theoretical frameworks from institutional economics with detailed historical case studies, creating valuable interdisciplinary connections between legal history, economic history, and urban studies.

Among her notable recognitions:

• Fellow of the Canada Research Chair in Transsystemic Property Law and Sustainable Communities
• European Research Based Universities Chair of Excellence
• Research in Paris Fellowship
• Multiple fellowships from Ecole Française de Rome and International Institute F. Datini

As an educator, Professor Barbot has supervised PhD students including Huiying Li (co-supervised with Pr. Zhao Yeqin) and Pierre-Adrien Ladant (co-supervised with Pr. A. Caracausi). Her research has been supported by numerous grants from the Italian Ministry of Education, Gobierno de Navarra (Spain), and other international funding bodies. She has coordinated the Economic History Summer School since 2013 and currently serves as Principal Investigator for WP1 of the PEPR VDBI-ANR Project TRACES, which focuses on transforming heritage through multi-scale systemic approaches.

Professor Barbot leads several significant research initiatives including the PEPS seminar (Propriété, environnement, patrimoine et société) at ENS Paris-Saclay and participates in international collaborations such as the ANR project EXPERTS on building expertise in Paris (1690-1790). Her scholarly leadership extends to editorial roles with journals including Quaderni Storici and Ædificare, where she serves on international editorial boards.