The 1 July 2026, Héloïse Berkowitz, a CNRS HDR research fellow, and Amandine Pascal, a professor at Aix-Marseille University, have taken up their posts as co-directors of the Laboratory for the Economics and Sociology of Work (LEST).
Elected by the general meeting last March, they succeed Christophe Baret and are ushering in a new phase in the laboratory’s history, based on collegial governance, consultation and the development of a shared scientific programme.
A project developed collectively
The joint leadership project is the result of several months of discussions with all members of the laboratory. Researchers, academic staff, PhD students, support staff and the outgoing management team were all involved in a collective review of the LEST’s operations, its strengths, its challenges and its future prospects.
This participatory approach has helped to forge a shared vision for the laboratory and to identify several priorities for the coming years: strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration, supporting changes in the research landscape, backing working groups, and fostering opportunities for dialogue on developments in higher education and research.
Bringing to life what makes LEST what it is
Discussions within the laboratory have confirmed what has defined LEST’s identity for over fifty years: the interdisciplinary pluralism, the focus on actual work, the dialogue between fundamental research and societal challenges, as well as a strong commitment to collaborative approaches and to the open science.
Against a backdrop of far-reaching changes in the world of work, organisations and academia, the new management team wishes to draw on these values to support the laboratory’s development whilst preserving what makes it unique.
Priorities for the term of office
The plan presented by the new management is based on several key areas:
- to make the laboratory’s scientific programme clearer
- to develop collaboration between research areas, disciplines and professional fields
- to strengthen opportunities for participation and collective responsibility
- to support developments in research practices, particularly in relation to tools, methods and open science
- to continue opening up the laboratory to its academic, institutional and international partners.
This initiative builds on the work undertaken by previous management teams, whilst offering new opportunities for discussion, reflection and experimentation.
A process that is already underway
The LEST Day, held on 3 July, marked the first highlight of this new term of office. It provided an opportunity to share the project’s main priorities with all members of the laboratory in a format combining collaborative workshops, discussions and social gatherings.
It also marked the launch of the new website, from the’intranet and new digital tools designed to support the laboratory’s scientific and community life.
Drawing on shared governance, recognised interdisciplinary research and ongoing dialogue with its partners, LEST is thus pursuing its ambition: to generate knowledge on changes in the world of work and organisations, whilst contributing to major contemporary scientific and societal debates.
