E-Space
Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi

Menu

Apply Now
  • Home
  • Dr. Clio Chaveneau

Dr. Clio Chaveneau

Dr. Clio Chaveneau

Dr. Clio Chaveneau

Associate Professor, and Head of SAFIR, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi

PhD Credentials

Dr. Chaveneau obtained her PhD in Sociology from Paris Descartes – Sorbonne (2016). Her doctoral research examined the social trajectories, migratory experiences, and political engagements of international residents in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.


Her dissertation, entitled “Internationals in the Occupied Palestinian Territories: Social Trajectories, Migratory Experiences and Sociopolitical Engagements,” explored the forms of mobility privilege and the role of international migrants in the socio-political dynamics of the region. It laid the foundations for her subsequent research on privileged migration and transnational mobility in the Middle East.

Bio

Dr. Clio Chaveneau is Associate Professor of Sociology at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and since June 2024, she is the Head of SAFIR (Sorbonne Abu Dhabi for Innovation and Research), the university’s central research institute. She also directs the Master in Social Research and Data Analysis for Global Societies.


Her research focuses on international migration, urban public spaces, and social transformations in the Gulf region, with particular attention to privileged mobility, transnational families, and cultural dynamics in Middle Eastern societies. Her work combines qualitative and quantitative approaches and is based on fieldwork conducted in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the United Arab Emirates.


Dr. Chaveneau is the author of Les internationaux en Palestine: Portrait d’une migration singulière (L’Harmattan, 2018) and co-author of Abu Dhabi Public Spaces: Urban Encounters, Social Diversity and (In)formality (Motivate Media Group, 2021). Her research has been published in journals including Revue européenne des migrations internationales, Journal of Arabian Studies, and Arabian Humanities.

Recent international conferences include:

  • IMISCOE Annual Conference, Paris (2025)
  • GIS Moyen-Orient et Mondes Musulmans, Strasbourg (2025)
  • Forum Insaniyyat – International Social Sciences Forum, Tunis (2022)
  • International Conference “Des migrations internationales privilégiées?”, Institut Convergences Migrations (2021)
  • International Conference “Culture Made in Arabia”, CEFREPA / NYUAD / SUAD (2021)


Dr. Chaveneau collaborates with academic, governmental, and industry partners on research projects addressing migration, urban studies, and sustainability in the Gulf region.


Key collaborations include:

  • Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), research project on household waste behaviour and sustainability practices in Abu Dhabi
  • Veolia Middle East, industry-funded doctoral project on recycling behaviours in the UAE
  • CERC Migration, Toronto Metropolitan University, international research exchange program
  • CEFREPA (French Research Centre of the Arabian Peninsula)

  • International migration and transnational mobility
  • Privileged migration and North–South mobilities
  • Urban public spaces and social interactions in Gulf cities
  • Social transformations in Gulf societies
  • Cultural dynamics and digital representations in the Arabian Peninsula
  • Environmental and sustainability behaviors in the UAE


In addition to her own research, Dr. Chaveneau supervises graduate research in sociology at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, particularly on migration, urban studies, and social transformations in the Gulf region. She currently co-supervises a doctoral project at Sorbonne Université entitled: “Understanding Recycling Habits and Practices among the Population of the United Arab Emirates.”

Researches for Dr. Clio Chaveneau

Subscribe to

Our Newsletter

School of Arts and Humanities

Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi

School of Data, Science and Engineering

Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi

School of Law, Economics and Business

Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi
E-Space
Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi

Close

Apply Now