Moe Wada

Moe Wada holds a PhD in Human and Environmental Studies from Kyoto University (2022), and is a lecturer at the Doctoral School of International Cultural Studies at Tohoku University. Previously on a French government scholarship at the University of Strasbourg (2018-2019), her research focuses on secularism and Islam in France.

The project

Title: French diplomatic secularism in foreign policy: a tool for international dialogue with religion in the 21st century?

"The aim of this project is to clarify the relationship between the secular state and religious groups in the context of its foreign policy. In order to achieve this, two aspects will be examined : - The place of religious facts in France's foreign policy from 2008 onwards, since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) began to take account of the importance of religion in international relations. - The current state of dialogue between the French state and religious groups through international organizations, as well as France's role in this context. The hypothesis of this research is that France has recently undergone a significant change in its foreign policy, traditionally marked by a strict separation between religious organizations and the state. This transformation reflects a growing recognition within the French government of the importance of religion in international affairs, as well as the need to engage more effectively with religious groups on the world stage."

Hosting institution: École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE)

Selective Bibliography

• Moe Wada, L’exclusion des immigrés au nom de la sécurité. Keiso Shobo, 2023.
• Moe Wada, “Securitization in France: through discursive practices of “laïcité” as political resource”. Human and Environmental Studies, vol. 30, 2021, pp. 155-168.
• Moe Wada, “Le rapport État-religions au Japon et ses portées juridiques”. Revue du droit des religions, vol. 11, 2021, pp. 155-170.
• Moe Wada, Gabriela Wurst Cavassa, Ryo Ikeda. “The Blue Pacific in Search of a Collective Identity: Towards Success in Regional Security amid US–China Rivalry.” Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, vol. 11, no. 1, 2024, pp. 27-50.