Research goals and themes

Founded in Saint-Denis in 2001, the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme Paris Nord - MSH Paris Nord (Centre for Human Sciences Paris Nord) is a Research Unit backed by the CNRS (French Centre for Scientific Research), Paris 8 University and Paris 13 University (USR 3258). It hosts, supports, promotes and disseminates research in the field of human and social sciences. Like similar centres, it actively promotes interdisciplinarity and inter-university collaboration in the field of social sciences. MSH Paris Nord also funds research projects by organising an annual call for projects based on its five research areas. It also shares and promotes the results of these research projects, in particular by organising scientific and/or artistic events for researchers, students and the general public. MSH Paris Nord’s scientific activities also include hosting scientific journals and organisations specialising in its research areas: GIS (Group of Scientific Interest), Labex (Laboratories of Excellence), IDEFI (Innovative Programmes of Excellence Initiative), action research associations, and several business clusters in the region (Pôle Média Grand Paris, Ed Fab de Cap Digital).

The aim of MSH Paris Nordis to have a positive impact on the local area and promote collaborations with its many partners. It enjoys longstanding partnerships with the towns of Saint-Denis and Aubervilliers, the Etablissement Public Territorial Plaine Commune and the Conseil Départemental de Seine Saint Denis.

Our four research areas

• Culture & arts industries
• Health & society
• Globalisation, regulation, innovation
• Designing the modern city

It also welcomes several federal structures:

• GIS Institut du Genre (Gender Studies Institute)
• GIS Participation du public, décision, démocratie participative (Public involvement, decision-making and participatory democracy)
• GIS Gestes (Actions)
• EdFab (Cap Digital)
• Labex Industries culturelles et creation artistique (Laboratory for Excellence: Cultural Industries and Artistic Creation)
• EUR ArTeC (ArTeC European Research School)
• Pôle Média Grand Paris
• Terrinum, regional centre for digital forecasting
• IDEFI CréaTIC
• Association Appuii
• Réseau Santé et Société (Health and Society Research Network)
• Campus Condorcet

Its two-year programmes are accredited by the MSH’s Scientific Committee in response to calls for projects, which are launched each year in June. Its Scientific Committee is made up of both French and international scientific figures and is chaired by the anthropologist Maurice Godelier. The MSH contributes to the development of research in its research areas in Plaine Commune in Seine-Saint-Denis, in the rest of the Île-de-France region, and on a national and international scale.

Raising awareness of research findings in the human and social sciences.

In line with its goals, MSH Paris Nord also helps to share knowledge by regularly organising and hosting seminars and conferences that are open to the general public.

Our new premises

The new MSH Paris Nord building opened its doors in March 2015. It is located next to Campus Condorcet, which became the largest European concentration of research bodies in the humanities and social sciences in 2018.

Architects: Agence Search, Caroline Barat & Thomas Dubuisson