Olivier Borraz

For the last 15 years, Olivier Borraz has conducted research in the field of risk.
Initially, he was interested in crises in the area of food safety and controversies surrounding environmental health. In addition, he has analyzed decision-making processes in health safety, the creation and operation of health safety agencies, and more generally risk regulation policies in both the health and environmental sectors.
He later began to explore issues surrounding the emergence or non-emergence of certain environmental health risks, as well as the production of related knowledge and skills.
More recently, his research has taken two directions. On the one hand, he analyzes the role of government in crisis preparation and management, looking specifically at the nuclear sector. On the other, he is participating in a comparative study on the spread of risk instruments in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands, in sectors as diverse as occupational health, flooding, criminal policy, and education.
Lastly, he is working to develop a socio-economic analysis of risk.

In 2008, he published Les politiques du Risque(Sciences Po University Press) and a new series devoted to public policy (Politiques Publiques, Sciences Po University Press) with Virginie Guiraudon.

At the CSO, he directs the Risk governance programand collaborates on the healthcare program.

Teaching Activities

Sciences Po Paris

Courses Cities at Risk in the Master’s program "Governing the Large Metropolis" with Lydie Cabane.
Courses The politics of risk with Jean-Noël Jouzel in the Bachelor.
Qualitative methods courses in the Sociology PhD program with Patrick Castel, Didier Demazière, and Anne Revillard

Other Activities

Offices Held

CSO acting director from july 2013.
Member of the board of directors of Sciences Po Paris since 2013

Previous positions :
Co-managed with Sandrine Lefranc and Daniel Benamouzig the CNRS Pluridisciplinary Thematic Network (RTP) Sociétés en mouvement, science sociale en evolution (Societies on the move, social sciences in evolution) (2005-2008).
Scientific secretary of section 40, Politics, Power, Organization of the CNRS National Committee (2000-2004).

Membership in Research Groups

Chair of the Réseau Risques et Société (Risks and Society Network) (2007-.)
Member of the Scientific Council of Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire (2010-.)

Previous positions :
Member of the Scientific council of the Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique (Research Institute on Public Health) (2007-2009).
Member of the Scientific council of the Health and Radiofrequencies Foundation (2007-2010).
Member of the Scientific council of the Groupement d’interêt scientifique (GIS) Risques collectifs et situation de crise (Collective risks and crisis situations) (2003-2005).
Member of assessment Committee of the Plan national santé environnement (National plan on environmental health) (2006-2007).
Member of the assessment group for la politique de préservation de la ressource en eau destinée à la consommation humaine (policies on preservation of water intended for human use), Commissariat Général au Plan (2000-2001).

Awards and Honors

Bronze medal from the CNRS in 1998.
”Prix special du jury” (Jury’s award) from the jury of the GRALE-CNRS judging theses about local governments in 1995.

Education

Degrees

Habilitation (HDR) from Sciences Po Paris, Political Science major (2007).
Doctorate from the Political Studies Institute (IEP) in Paris, Sociology major (1994).
DEA in sociology at the Political Studies Institute (IEP) in Paris (1987).
Master’s in political sociology from the Université de Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (1986).

Professional Career

Senior research fellow (research professor) since 2007.
CNRS research fellow since 1995.