Karina Piser’s research explored measures to promote French secularism in public high schools in immigrant-heavy areas. Beginning in suburbs of Paris, she interviewed students, teachers, administrators, and education-policy practitioners to better understand how the government is targeting schools to improve social cohesion in the aftermath of the 2015 and 2016 terrorist attacks. Prior to receiving the ICWA fellowship, Karina was an editor at World Politics Review, and has previously held positions at the Council on Foreign Relations, the European Council on Foreign Relations, and the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights in Tunis, Tunisia. She holds a master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris, and has written for Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, and World Politics Review, among other publications.
In secular France, Catholic roots run deep
The Notre-Dame fire is shedding light on the country’s complex relationship with religion at a moment populists across Europe are distorting the notion of Christian identity.
The dust settles at Notre-Dame
The cathedral fire united France. Days later, it was already helping re-ignite the politics of economic grievance.
France struggles
to address rising anti-SemitismTensions over who’s to blame are helping fracture debate and polarize the nation.
They made it to France.
Now these African teens are stuck in limboA flawed asylum process is depriving young migrants of their rights.
Who are the Yellow Vests?
A new alignment of interests may be transforming grassroots protest in France.