Loujaine LAÂMAL

Bio

I hold a master’s degree in geopolitics from the Institut Français de Géopolitique, and I am currently pursuing a PhD under the supervision of Aude Merlin. My research focuses on the Chechen diaspora in Europe, with a particular interest in the construction of its identities and memories, as well as the dynamics of political and military opposition to the regime of Ramzan Kadyrov.

CV

• 2024 - … : Doctorante sous mandat FNRS à l’ULB
• 2021 – 2023 : Master en géopolitique à l’Institut Français de Géopolitique
• 2018 – 2021 : Double bachelier en histoire et langue arabe à Sorbonne Université

Areas of research

• Diaspora
• Engagement transnational
• Caucase
• Mouvements d’opposition
• Conflits armés
• Répression transnationale
• Construction des identités en exil

Research

My doctoral research examines political engagement and disengagement within the Chechen diaspora in Europe, with a particular focus on France and Belgium. I investigate how the consolidation of authoritarian rule in Chechnya since 2007, the persistence of transnational repression, and the political and legal conditions of exile shape diasporic political participation and processes of identity reconstruction.At the centre of my research is the question of how political commitments are sustained, transformed, or abandoned when engagement carries potential risks for individuals and their families. I also explore the securitisation of Chechen exile in Europe, particularly the withdrawal of refugee status and its implications for political agency and belonging. More broadly, my work contributes to debates on diaspora politics, transnational authoritarianism, political mobilisation, and the relationship between exile and political participation.