Laure Assayag

Born in Paris, Laure is a graduate student in a double full-time master degree in American History at the EHESS and in Philosophy at Paris- Sorbonne. In Philosophy, she studies compromise with minority in democracies and in History she focuses on the Black Power. She will conduct research and interview former leaders in Columbia University, New York, thanks to a scholarship. She always sought to balance her demanding academic curriculum with practical involvements; alongside her studies she decided to work at the Museum of Immigration in Paris, a place that corresponds to her values for equality. She also spent a semester in King’s College, Cambridge, as well as in Loyola University, Chicago; in her spare time, Laure has worked in several organizations to make art accessible Add New

Laure Gillot-Assayag is currently a Ph.D. candidate in EHESS, policy analyst at UNESCO-IESALC and lecturer at Sciences Po (France). Her Ph.D. thesis, titled “A Theory of Compromise in Democracy,” examines the controversial role of compromise in democracy, arguing for its essential place in democratic debate and institutions. She holds four M.A. degrees in political philosophy (Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), transnational and American history (ENS Ulm, Sciences Po Paris), and fundamental rights in EU and international law (University of Nantes). She also holds a university diploma in Korean studies (University of Bordeaux) and collaborates regularly with the think tank KEY to promote stronger relationships between Korea and Europe. 

Her experience as a John Lewis Fellow at the National Civil Rights Center in Atlanta was transformative for her career, inspiring her to engage with international organizations and public institutions to drive positive change for communities. Consequently, she served as a Lantos Human Rights Fellow in the U.S. Congress (D.C.) for Rep. Juan Vargas, where she handled portfolios on foreign affairs and human rights. She has also contributed as an expert in constitutional law at the Venice Commission in the Council of Europe, worked as a policy analyst at the European Parliament to strengthen EU-US relations, and held positions at the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Museum of History of Immigration in Paris, and the American Embassy in Paris. Former Fulbright Fellow at Berkeley, she has received various international grants to support her research at Cambridge University (UK), Columbia University (USA), Loyola University (USA), Toyo University (Japan), KU Leuven (Belgium), Yonsei University (South Korea) and Academia Sinica (Taiwan). Besides her professional endeavors, Laure is passionate about conveying messages of engagement through art and cinema: she is the winner of the Daniel Sabatier Prize for the best documentary screenplay project on Arthur Mitchell, the first African-American ballet dancer to belong to a national ballet company in the U.S.

Updated May 2016