Geographer Matthieu Giroud a victim in the Paris attacks

Our sincere condolences go to the family and friends of Matthieu Giroud, our Parisian colleague, who was one of the victims of the Bataclan attack last Friday.

Matthieu Giroud was a young urban geographer (39 years old), assistant professor in Paris-East University and member of the team of comparative Studies of powers.

He was very active, participating in numerous projects on gentrification, mobilities and social changes and spatial contests of cities. His PhD was on “resisting by residing” on Lisbon and Grenoble neighborhoods. He won the National French Comity Prize for this research of high quality.

http://acp.u-pem.fr/equipe/matthieu-giroud/

He loved music and was in the concert Hall of BATACLAN on Friday 13th November in PARIS.

His death is one of the numerous injustice our democracies must pay.

But for Urban geography he symbolizes even more injustice because, by his researches, he fought for more mixity and equity in cities.

The universal Human values are striken and Urban Geography as well, and one only can be outraged by such blind barbarian acts.

If you want to contribute to an hommage to him, or more generally to the Paris, Beyrouth and everywhere civil victims, you can send your text to: elfie.Swerts@unil.ch

We’ll publish your text on the dedicated page: http://www.unil.ch/igu-urban/home/menuinst/tributes/tribute-to-matthieu-giroud.html

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Céline ROZENBLAT

Professor

Chair of the Urban Geography Commission

of the International Geographical Union

http://www.unil.ch/igu-urban

UNIVERSITY OF LAUSANNE

Institute of Geography and Sustainability – Faculty of Geoscience

Geopolis Building- office 3614

Mouline area

CH – 1015 LAUSANNE