Because science aims to be universal and establish a connection between different cultures, despite tensions between them. “This is something that is sometimes found in sports or culture, and goes beyond political tensions. By creating bridges between scientists and between our countries, we had established a form of scientific diplomacy. But it shattered largely since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine,” said the president of the TGIR committee. In practice, “it is rare that the interests of the scientific and diplomatic worlds are spontaneously and perfectly aligned,” observes Léonard Laborie. “The difficulty of international cooperation lies in the fact that they must develop over long periods. And at the same time, the international situation fluctuates very quickly, and overall tensions increase,” adds Hervé Bertrand. The decision to approve or not a departure on a research mission abroad thus relies on a delicate balance between the benefits for science and the risks involved, emphasizes the director of CNRS security: “We analyze the security and geopolitical risks in view of the international situation. But we also take other parameters into account, such as the researcher’s experience in this type of situation.”
From Khartoum to Cairo: science, a tool of resilience
But while conflicts can weaken or even destroy certain research infrastructures, they also highlight the importance of laboratories that persist in war zones. This is particularly the case of the Sudanese branch of the Center for Economic, Legal and Social Studies and Documentation (Cedej Khartoum), dedicated to human and social sciences, based in Khartoum, the capital of the country since the 1990s. “The outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023 paradoxically increased the scope of the center’s activities, increased its visibility, and attracted a larger number of scientists,” said Marie Bassi, associate professor of political science at the University of Côte d’Azur within the ERMES laboratory and coordinator of Cedej Khartoum since September 2023. This conflict, which erupted in April 2023 in the heart of the capital, pits Sudanese armed forces against a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces. According to the United Nations, this war, considered one of the most significant humanitarian crises in the world, has already forced 13 million Sudanese to leave their homes. And nearly 4 million of them have sought refuge in neighboring countries, including Egypt. “Approximately 1.5 million Sudanese have arrived in this country since the beginning of the conflict,” specifies Marie Bassi.
The Sudanese branch of Cedej was relocated to Cairo a few months after the outbreak of the war, “with the idea that this relocation would be temporary,” said the researcher. She had to readjust and rethink the center’s missions: “Upon arriving in Cairo, one of the main objectives was to create a space for exchange and meetings for Sudanese researchers and students in exile, as well as for international researchers specializing in Sudan. We organize seminars every month on a wide range of topics from the political economy of war to the preservation of Sudanese intellectual and cultural heritage,” said Bassi. The scientists respond positively, “especially Sudanese researchers, mainly because there is no safe space for Sudanese in Cairo dedicated to the study of their country,” said Marie Bassi. Between hosting and facilitating international exchanges, Cedej Khartoum thus offers a breathing space for Sudanese scientists in exile in Egypt, whose daily life is marked by dramatic news and significant administrative and financial precariousness. “Most of them still have family in the country, and the terrible news they receive every day causes enormous psychological trauma,” emphasizes the researcher.
