A LEST PhD student honoured for her commitment to young people and solidarity

Joséa Guedje, a CIFRE PhD student in economics at the Laboratory for the Economics and Sociology of Work (LEST – CNRS / Aix-Marseille University) received two awards in 2026. She was selected to join the Youth Programme of the Cercle des économistes, she is also a winner of the The Veolia Foundation’s Student Solidarity Award in collaboration with the Avenir Vert Solidaire charity. These two accolades demonstrate the commitment of the laboratory’s young researchers to tackling major economic, social and environmental challenges.

Selected from among the members of the Jeunesse(s) 2026 campaign, Joséa Guedje is joining a programme run by the Cercle des économistes, which brings together committed young people each year to stimulate public debate and put forward proposals on the major challenges of our time. The initiative is based in particular on a wide-ranging national survey focusing on the expectations and concerns of 15–29-year-olds, and is followed up with workshops and debates organised during the Rencontres Économiques d’Aix-en-Provence.

As part of this, the LEST PhD student took part in the co-creation workshop «Should we really give young people a voice?». The discussions highlighted a generation that is committed, dedicated to their work and seeking meaning, but which also faces major challenges such as job insecurity, loneliness and eco-anxiety. The reflections shared within the cohort will inform the Agoras Jeunesse(s) and the debates on Aix-en-Provence Economic Forum, held on 2, 3 and 4 July 2026 on the theme of «Navigating a world without bearings».

This recognition is accompanied by a second honour. Along with Matthieu Garcia-Mesa, Joséa Guedje heads the association A Green and Inclusive Future, winner of the 2026 Student Solidarity Award by the Veolia Foundation. The project, which won the public vote, aims to develop Food self-sufficiency for orphanages in Benin through aquaponics, a sustainable approach combining fish farming and crop cultivation. Like all the award-winning projects, it receives financial support and guidance from a Veolia mentor to help with its implementation.

Through these two awards, Joséa Guedje illustrates the diversity of the work undertaken by LEST’s PhD students. Whether they are contributing to the collective debate on economic and social change or developing practical projects that address the challenges of sustainable development and international solidarity, their work reflects the ongoing dialogue between research, society and action.