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Our team
The team is comprised of researchers and practioners with different backgounds, experience and expertise
Lise Landrin
UNIBERN
Dr. Geography is a post-doctorate at the University of Berne, specializing in the emergence of narratives from the theatre of the oppressed. With a diverse background including childhood in Mali, literary training in French Guiana, a thesis on rural environments in Nepal, and post-doctoral fieldwork on the France-Luxembourg border, her work focuses on research-creation in collaboration with theatre artists, performers, photographers, and storytellers to develop knowledge-sharing platforms that empower groups. Driven by a desire to promote a variety of perspectives from a critical, postcolonial, and ecofeminist standpoint, she aims to create an active science by encouraging the use of multiple voices in the humanities and social sciences. These innovative approaches to research require the development of methods, reflexivity, and dissemination models, this is her motivation to join ARTS’ processes
Jean-Michel Sène
ENDA PRONAT
Jean Michel Waly Sene, born September 3, 1979, is an experienced Agro-economist Engineer with an advanced Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship & SMEs from the University of Paris XII. Since March 2015, he has been the Agroecology Program Officer at Enda Pronat, Senegal, where he oversees various projects aimed at advancing agroecological practices in West Africa. Jean Michel is an active researcher, mentor to graduate students, and a key member of regional agroecological forums. Before joining Enda Pronat, he held various roles as a consultant and specialist in monitoring and evaluation for projects related to agricultural and economic growth. Jean Michel is dedicated to promoting sustainable and inclusive development through agroecology.
Jean-David Gerber
UNIBERN
Prof. Dr. Jean-David Gerber is a Swiss scholar and Director of the Institute of Geography at the University of Bern. His research centers on political urbanism and sustainable spatial development. Gerber earned his Master’s in Environmental Sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Lausanne. He further enriched his research experience with postdoctoral fellowships at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration. Throughout his career, Gerber has mentored numerous Ph.D. students and postdocs, led key research projects, and contributed to open science via his role in the think tank Sanu durabilitas.
Patrick Bottazzi
UNIBERN
Prof. Dr. Patrick Bottazzi is an Assistant Professor in Human Geography at the University of Bern, with specializations in political ecology and development studies. He holds a Ph.D. from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, with research focused on Protected Areas, Ethnicity, and Indigenous Governance in Bolivia. His research topics span from governance of natural resources to sustainability transition and social justice. Bottazzi’s work experience includes time spent in the Upper Amazon basin, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe. His methodological skills are diverse, including knowledge co-production, collective action, institutional analysis, spatial analysis, and participatory methods. His published work includes numerous articles on sustainability, social-ecological transitions, and agroecology.
Laure Tall
IPAR
Dr. Laure Tall is an agroecologist and research director at the Agricultural and Rural Prospective Initiative (IPAR), a think tank based in Senegal. She leads a team of researchers on topics such as the structural transformation of agriculture, migration and youth employment, climate change, sustainable development goals, and natural resource and land management, including artificial intelligence. Prior to this, she was the director of the National Laboratory of Research on Plant Productions (LNRPV) at the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research (ISRA). She has also been a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Montreal and Environment Canada. Dr. Tall holds a PhD in ecology and biogeochemistry and a master’s degree in community ecology from the University of Montreal. Her research aims to inform public policies and guide development, with a focus on adapting to climate change in West African farming systems.
Joan Bastide
UNIBERN
Dr. Joan Bastide, based in Senegal, is a researcher and seasoned professional in international development with a focus on science and arts. Currently a Senior Research Scientist at the University of Bern, he employs his expertise in land governance, food security, climate change, and agroecology. He founded Mélanzé, an NGO targeting sustainable development, and the music label Som’One Music. A PhD in Geography and Environment from the University of Geneva underscores his commitment to impactful decision-making in global challenges.
Sidy Tounkara
IPAR
Dr. Sidy Tounkara is a researcher and project coordinator at IPAR Think Tank (Initiative for Agricultural and Rural Foresight). He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Sociology from the Université Jean Jaurès in Toulouse and a master’s degree in Social Management of the Environment and Valorization of Territorial Resources, with a specialization in Environmental Geography, from the Centre universitaire de formation et de recherches Jean-François Champollion in Albi. His research themes mainly focus on the structural transformation of agriculture in both urban and rural environments, agroecological transition, solid waste management, and urban sanitation. From these themes, he has produced several research reports and publications across various channels. Moreover, he is the focal point for DyTAES at IPAR.
Sébastien Boillat
Fachhochschule
Dr. Sébastien Boillat is a Swiss-Bolivian academic specializing in environmental science, geography, and sustainability. Holding an MSc from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and a PhD from the University of Bern, he is a respected lecturer and senior researcher at the Bern University of Applied Sciences and the University of Bern. His expansive research has taken him to Brazil, Bolivia, Laos, and Canada, resulting in numerous esteemed publications on diverse environmental and socio-economic topics. Sébastien is multilingual, with proficiency in French, Spanish, English, German, and Portuguese, and a basic understanding of Quechua.
Raphaël Belmin
CIRAD
Raphael Belmin is a multidisciplinary researcher affiliated with CIRAD and based in Dakar, Senegal. His expertise spans a wide range of areas, including strategic niche management, innovation studies, agricultural system design, geographical indications, supply chain analysis, and prospective analysis. Holding a Ph.D. in agricultural economics, Raphael is also an accomplished photographer. He is the author of several photo reports as well as the Cirad-DyTAES photo exhibition “On the Paths of African Agroecology,” which has been showcased at major international events such as the Africa-France Summit and COP26.
