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Séverine Autesserre (born December 6, 1976) is a French-American author and researcher. She writes about war and peace, peacebuilding,
peacekeeping Peacekeeping comprises activities, especially military ones, intended to create conditions that favor lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed w ...
,
humanitarian aid Humanitarian aid is material and Humanitarian Logistics, logistic assistance, usually in the short-term, to people in need. Among the people in need are the homelessness, homeless, refugees, and victims of natural disasters, wars, and famines. Th ...
, the ongoing conflict in the
Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
, and African politics. Autesserre is the Ann Whitney Olin Professor and Chair of Political Science at
Barnard College Barnard College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a grou ...
,
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
(New York, US), where she specializes in
international relations International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...
and
African studies African studies is the study of Africa, especially the continent's cultures and societies (as opposed to its geology, geography, zoology, etc.). The field includes the study of Africa's History of Africa, history (pre-colonial, Colonisation of Af ...
. She previously worked for international humanitarian and development agencies.


Education

Autesserre obtained her B.A. in political science from Sorbonne University in 1997. She earned her master's degree in international relations and political science from Sciences Po and
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
. In 2006, she completed her Ph.D. in political science from
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
and undertook post-doctorate studies at
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
in 2007.


Career

Autesserre's early research culminated in her first book, ''The Trouble with the Congo: Local Violence and the Failure of International Peacebuilding'' published in 2010. The book explains why international efforts to end civil wars often fail. Drawing on interviews and field research, Autesserre presents a case study of the international intervention during the Democratic Republic of Congo's unsuccessful transition from war to peace and democracy (2003–06) where she argues that local rivalries over land, resources, and political power motivated widespread violence. However, an international peacebuilding culture shaped the intervention strategy in a way that precluded action on local conflicts, ultimately dooming the international efforts. Autessere's second book, ''Peaceland: Conflict Resolution and the Everyday Politics of International Intervention'', was published in 2014 and translated in Spanish in 2018. The book suggests an explanation for why international peace interventions so often fail to reach their full potential. She demonstrates that everyday elements – such as expatriates’ social habits and common approaches to understanding their areas of operation – strongly influence peacebuilding effectiveness. ''Peaceland'' proposes ways to better help host populations build sustainable peace. Autesserre's third book, ''The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World,'' was released by
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
in 2021 and translated in French and Japanese in 2023. Autesserre examines strategies that help build peace during and after mass violence. She highlights "ordinary yet extraordinary individuals and communities" that have decreased or ended violence in various parts of the world. Autesserre has taught at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
and
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
. Since 2007, she teaches at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
's
Barnard College Barnard College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a grou ...
,
School of International and Public Affairs The School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) is the List of schools of international relations in the United States, international affairs and public policy school, public policy school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League univers ...
, and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. She teaches classes on African politics, international relations, and war and peace, and she chairs the
Barnard Barnard is a surname of Old English origin, derived from the Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon given name "Beornheard". It is composed of two elements: "Beorn," meaning "young warrior" or "bear," and "heard," meaning "hardy," "brave," or "strong." In some ...
Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
Department. In 2021, Autesserre received Barnard College's Emily Gregory Award, a student-nominated award for excellence in teaching, and in 2024 she received the Ann Whitney Olin Foundation endowed chair. According to
Google Scholar Google Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text or metadata of Academic publishing, scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines. Released in Beta release, beta in November 2004, th ...
, Autesserre's work has been cited in more than 5,400 scholarly texts, and according to Elsevier she ranks among the most cited authors in the world. She has been called "an authoritative voice" on international humanitarian interventions. Her publications on peacebuilding have helped shape intervention strategies for several United Nations departments, philanthropists, activists, and non-governmental organizations. She has testified before the U.S. Congress and the United Nations Security Council, and her research has been quoted in debates at the U.S. House of Representatives and the Canadian Parliament. Her publications have helped put local conflict resolution on the agenda of policy-makers and practitioners working in Congo. Autesserre is considered "one of the foremost thinkers on international peace-building" in the decade since 2010 by many of her colleagues, and in the 2020s the International Studies Association and the French government praised her work for “revolutioni
ing Ing, ING or ing may refer to: Art and media * '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film * i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group * The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' * "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 199 ...
the study and practice of peacebuilding, and of security studies more broadly.”


Awards and honors

Autesserre's first paper won the 2006 Best Graduate Student Paper award from the African Studies Association, and her article "Dangerous Tales" won the 2012 Best Article award from the African Politics Conference Group. The same year, ''The Trouble with the Congo'' won the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. The book also won the 2011 Chadwick Alger Prize awarded by the International Studies Association. It was the topic of a TED talk with more than 820,000 views. Autesserre's work ''Peaceland'' won the 2016 Best Book of the Year Award and the 2015 Yale H. Ferguson Award from the
International Studies Association The International Studies Association (ISA) is a US-based professional association for scholars and practitioners in the field of International relations, international studies. Founded in 1959, ISA has been headquartered at the University of Con ...
, as well as honorable mentions for the 2014 African Argument Book of the Year, the 2015 Chadwick Alger Prize from the International Studies Association, and the 2015 Conflict Research Society Book of the Year. In April 2021, Autesserre presented ''The Frontlines of Peace'' to the
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
. Her book has received positive reviews from ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', and
Le Soir ''Le Soir'' (, ) is a French-language Belgian daily newspaper. Founded in 1887 by Émile Rossel, it was intended as a politically independent source of news. Together with '' La Libre Belgique'', it is one of the most popular Francophone newsp ...
, as well as a recommendation from Gideon Rachman of the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'' who listed the book as part of his "Summer Books of 2021." It is one of the finalists for the 2022 best book prize from the Conflict Research Society. Autesserre shared an anecdote from ''The Frontlines of Peace'' at House of SpeakEasy's ''Seriously Entertaining'' in 2021. In 2021, Autesserre was named Knight of the Order of Academic Palms by the French government. That same year, she was awarded the Victor Sidel and Barry Levy Award for Peace from the American Public Health Association in recognition of her contributions to preventing war and promoting international peace. Her research has won her an Emerging Scholar Award from the
International Studies Association The International Studies Association (ISA) is a US-based professional association for scholars and practitioners in the field of International relations, international studies. Founded in 1959, ISA has been headquartered at the University of Con ...
(2021), a Special Prize of the Jury from the French Red Cross Fund (2017), an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship (2016), a 2016 Foreign Policy Interrupted fellowship, a research award from the
United States Institute of Peace The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is an American independent, nonprofit, national institute funded by the U.S. Congress and tasked with promoting conflict resolution and prevention worldwide. See alsPDF on USIP website. It provides rese ...
, two Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation research grants (2010 and 2011), two Presidential Research Awards and an endowed chair position from Barnard College (2010, 2021, and 2024), two Mellon Fellowships in Security and Humanitarian Action (2004–06), and a Fulbright Fellowship (1999–2000). Autesserre is one of the seven main characters in Timothy Pachirat's book ''Among Wolves''.Timothy Pachirat,
Among Wolves: Ethnography and the Immersive Study of Power
''. Routledge, 2017.


References


External links

* http://www.severineautesserre.com Official website] {{DEFAULTSORT:Autesserre, Severine 1976 births 21st-century American women academics 21st-century American academics 21st-century French women writers American women political scientists American political scientists American Africanists Barnard College faculty Columbia School of International and Public Affairs faculty French political scientists French international relations scholars American international relations scholars Living people New York University Graduate School of Arts and Science alumni Peace and conflict scholars School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University alumni Sciences Po alumni Writers from Paris Writers about Africa Writers about activism and social change 21st-century American women writers