Another History of International Academic Relations

Presentation of a research project as part of the "Jeudis de la Maison Suger", a residents' research seminar.

This session will welcome Marcia Consolim to present her ongoing research on the career of Georges Dumas (1866–1946). She will highlight the singularity of his academic, editorial, and diplomatic career, as well as his role as an intellectual mediator between France and Brazil. Through this analysis, she will offer an original interpretation of international academic relations during the interwar period.

Presentation of the project

"Somewhat forgotten today, Georges Dumas's career (1866–1946) had multiple dimensions–higher education, publishing, and intellectual diplomacy–that, when considered together, make it unique and valuable for transnational history. Not only did Dumas have a rapid and distinguished academic career in Paris, but his multiple academic positions (Professor of Experimental Psychology at the Faculty of Arts and Head of the Psychology Laboratory at the Faculty of Medicine’s Mental Illness Clinic) raise intriguing questions, particularly as they intersect with his other roles.

His work as editor of the Traité de Psychologie (1923-1924) and the Nouveau Traité de Psychologie (1930-1948), published by Alcan, attests to his editorial influence. His efforts to disseminate "French science" in Latin America–particularly in Brazil–positioned him as a key mediator between the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Brazil, where he became an advisor to several governments.

This project aims to show that Dumas, who accumulated both scientific and institutional capital, was a "man of two worlds" bridging the social and scientific spheres. His capital and strategies shaped his international relations, reflecting both his closeness to Brazil and his relative distance from the United States. Through his career, we can offer a fresh perspective on international academic relations during the interwar period."

Speakers

Marcia Consolim is a full professor at the School of Philosophy, Letters, and Humanities at the Federal University of São Paulo. Her research focuses primarily on the following areas: sociology of intellectuals and the humanities and social sciences, and the international circulation of scientists and intellectuals. Her latest publications focus on the history of psychology and sociology in France, as well as the international mobility of professors between France, Brazil, and the United States during the first half of the 20th century. Member of the Brazilian Institute of Durkheimian Studies. Visiting researcher at the European Center for Sociology and Political Science, the Alexandre Koyré Center, and the Institute of Modern and Contemporary History. Coordinator of the SciCi - Science in Circulation laboratory at the Institute of Advanced Studies at Unifesp and participating member of irl2024 – Maison CNRS – USP (Worlds in Transition).

Discussant: Wolf Feuerhahn is Research Director at the Centre Alexandre Koyré CNRS.