Where Travels, Academia, and Arts Meet…
Is where I connect with words, ideas, and human emotions.
This is the place where I feel most at home.
Long before my formal studies, notebooks and travelogues captured my travels on a life journey to understand the world, its people, and myself. When I entered university, travels became fieldwork, but I always preserved that original spontaneity, unapologetically blurring the lines between the wanderer and the researcher.
University is one special place housing humanity’s knowledge across generations. For me, this knowledge comes alive through ethnography – through people. Almost two decades ago, academia became the foundation of my intellectual journey; and to this day, fieldwork fuels my thinking.
I first visited Malaysia in 2003, a stop on my way to Cambodia for fieldwork. Malaysia soon became the fertile ground of my entire academic work. I earned my MA (2007) and PhD (2014) in Comparative Politics from Sciences-Po Paris focusing on civil society, politics and religion. I developed an original theory on the legitimation of semi-authoritarian power and the concept of connivance militancy as a form of subcontracting political violence by the ruling party.
Since 2015, I have led captivating comparative ethnographic projects across Southeast Asia, North Africa and the Caribbean focusing on politics, religion, elections, violence, human rights and child rights. I was given great research opportunities and held positions at highly-competitive institutions globally including the European University Institute, Harvard University, Stanford University, Kyoto University, Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore.
In 2021, I ventured beyond academia’s boundaries, founding a political consulting firm in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This move allowed me to apply my research in new ways, advising political leaders on communication and policy-making. Transitioning from observer to participant in the making of politics, I’ve developed new ideas, gained incredible perceptions, and gathered extensive material for my book manuscripts.
Simultaneously, I’ve maintained an active presence in media outlets and continued collaborations with think-tanks. My aim is to stay abreast of global policy discussions and contemporary debates, contributing meaningful insights that can help shape political landscapes, both locally and globally.
As of January 2025, I’ve relocated to Rabat, Morocco, where I’m pursuing fresh research and documentary film projects while maintaining affiliations with several research institutions and think-tanks in the US, France, and South Africa.
Stanford APARC | Exploring Politics: Why Malaysia?
In this interview, Sophie Lemière was interviewed by The Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC). The Shorenstein APARC addresses critical issues affecting the countries of Asia, their regional and global affairs, and U.S.-Asia...
My Art is in my Work…
As a documentary film author and director, I bring my passion for politics, research, and the arts into powerful visual stories.
Storytelling has been my driving force since childhood. I’ve always been captivated by the power of narratives, whether through written words, on-screen characters, or the raw authenticity of documentaries. My inspiration led me to explore various artistic avenues – from singing and fiction writing to drama and filmmaking. While creativity fueled my spirit, academia grounded my aspirations, providing structure and depth to my curiosity about power dynamics, societal structures, and people.
Filmmaking has long been present in my thoughts and has evolved into an essential part of work. Throughout my academic career, I felt the urge to share my knowledge beyond traditional circles and I discovered the power of filmmaking to amplify my voice as a woman scholar while bridging academic research with public discourse. Today, I am cultivating an approach where my research naturally flows into cinematic expression. My documentary films provide a dynamic and accessible medium to explore deep questions and share complex ideas. These ideas, arising from my field observations and analysis, engage broader audiences, including my students, in important social and political debates.
My films are developed together with and produced by Cyril Pennec and Judith Naudet at Effervescence Productions (Paris, France).
I am represented by Nathan Ouazana (Agency: Plan A, Paris).