Rachel Pougnet

Rachel Pougnet is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, where she leads research on citizenship and national security. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Bristol (2020), funded by the ESRC, focusing on citizenship deprivation in France and the UK. Her work bridges public law, socio-legal studies, and national security, with a focus on global and comparative perspectives. Previously, she served as a Research Associate at the University of Manchester (2021–2022) and an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Bristol (2020–2021).

Education:

• Ph.D. in Law, University of Bristol (2015–2020)
• Master in Law (International Law and International Organizations), University of Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne (2013–2015)
• LLB, University of Montaigne Montesquieu Bordeaux IV (2010–2013)

Research Interests: Dr. Pougnet’s work examines the intersections of citizenship, national security, and human rights, particularly in counter-terrorism contexts. She analyzes how states reconfigure citizenship to exclude marginalized groups and curtail rights, with comparative studies on France and the UK. Her socio-legal approach integrates migration policies, decolonization legacies, and global security practices.

Teaching: She has taught Constitutional Rights, British Immigration Law, and Citizenship Law as a Teaching Associate at the University of Bristol (2021–2023) and a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh (2021–2022).

Current Project: Leads the comparative project Citizenship in the Counter-Terrorist State, exploring how states use citizenship to enhance exclusionary practices in security contexts. The project critiques legal frameworks and their impacts on vulnerable populations.