Linda BENRAIS

Adjunct Professor
department: Faculty at Large
Campus de la Défense
Negotiation – Mediation and Conflict Management – International Business – Sustainable development – Comparative Law – International Law – Business Ethics & Business Philosophy
Career
Biography

An affiliate professor in the Department of Law and Business Environment at ESSEC, Linda Benraïs leads IRENE's governance and conflict resolution programs and is a research associate at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is also an assessor judge at the National Asylum Court and an accredited mediator with the Paris Court of Appeal.

For over 20 years, Linda Benraïs has conducted expert missions, teaching, and research worldwide, collaborating with the European Union, governments, courts, UN agencies, and prestigious academic institutions. The European Union has appointed her Project Manager, Key Expert, Mediator-Facilitator, Senior Trainer, Coach, and Principal Evaluator.

Before joining ESSEC in 2013, she worked at the Ministry of Justice, where she founded and led the International Legal Cooperation Agency and held positions as Secretary General and Director.

Her expertise includes comparative public law, European law, international human rights law, negotiation, governance and conflict resolution, international cooperation, mediation, CSR, and gender issues. Linda Benraïs holds a Doctorate in Comparative Public Law, a DEA in International Economic Law and Development, and a master’s in business law from Université Paris Cité. She is also a graduated mediator from the Institut Catholique de Paris and is internationally accredited by the CEDR in London and the Paris Court of Appeal.

Diplomas

  • 2015: CEDR Accredited Mediator (UK and International) (Center for Effective Dispute Resolution United Kingdom)
  • 2010: University Diploma of Mediator (Institut Catholique de Paris France)
  • 2004: Doctorat en Droit Public Comparé des Etats Européens (Université Paris Descartes (Paris V) France)
  • 1997: Master 2 of International Economic and Development Law (Université Paris Descartes (Paris V) France)
  • 1996: Master 1 en Droit des Affaires (Université Paris Descartes (Paris V) France)
Career
Other Academic Appointments
    • 2023 – 2027 : Researcher Associat New Reseach Project-CY Initiative of Excellence (Unpathknown-CY Univerity-ESSEC-CERESSEC AND IRENE) (ESSEC Business School France)
    • 2021 – 2022 : Member of the EU Learning Community”Europe in the World” (EUTOPIA: CY Cergy Paris University)) (ESSEC Business School France)
    • 2018 – 2019 : Lecturer in Business Ethics and Leadership (International School of Management (ISM) France)
    • 2013 – Now : Director of ‘Governance and Conflict Resolution’ Programs (ESSEC Business School France)
    • 2010 – Now : Lecturer and head of teaching modules- Diploma of Accredited Mediator (Institut Catholique de Paris France)
    • 2009 – Now : Lecturer at INSP (ex-ENA) (École nationale d’administration – ENA France)
    • 2003 – 2012 : Academic director / Pedagogical Head (Union Européenne Lebanon)
    • 2000 – 2004 : Academic director / Pedagogical Head Project Regional Training Programs for Judges in the Balkans Region funded by the French MoFA (Ministère des Affaires étrangères North Macedonia)
    • 2000 – 2010 : Lecturer (École Nationale de la Magistrature France)
    • 2000 – 2013 : Academic co-director / Co-Pedagogical Head ” Justice Reform- EU enlargement to Eastern Europe” (Union Européenne Belgium)
    • 1999 – 2008 : EU Academic director / EU Pedagogical Head in Strengthening legal and judicial reforms” (Union Européenne Russia)
Professional appointments
    • 2021 – 2022 : Senior Evaluator in EU Foreign and Security Policy (Ukraine and Kazakhstan) (ESSEC Business School France)
    • 2019 – Now : Judge – assessor at the National Court of Asylum Law appointed by the Conseil d’Etat (Agence des Réfugiés pour les Nations Unies France)
    • 2014 – Now : EU Senior Expert on Peace Mediation and Conflict Prevention (Union Européenne Belgium)
    • 2013 – 2021 : EU Key Senior Expert- Governance of Centres of Excellence in CBRN Risk mitigation (Union Européenne Belgium)
    • 2010 – Now : Mediator at the Paris Court of Appeal (Mediation droits Humains France)
    • 2005 – 2011 : EU Project Leader on Strengthening the quality of Justice (Union Européenne Kazakhstan)
    • 2004 : Project Leader (Ministère des Affaires étrangères Qatar)
    • 2003 – 2009 : EU Project Director on Modernisation of Justice (Union Européenne Morocco)
    • 1999 – 2012 : Secretary General then Director of the Agency for International Legal Cooperation (MInistère de la Justice France)
    • 1997 – 1998 : Policy Officer, Cooperation Unit; Division of European and International Affairs (MInistère de la Justice France)
Full-time academic appointments
    • 2020 – Now : Member of GBSN – Business for Human Rights (ESSEC Business School France)
    • 2020 – Now : Resarch Associate, LSE Foreign Policy Think Tank (London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) United Kingdom)
    • 2015 – Now : Adjunct Professor, Public and Private Policy Department, Director of Governance and Conflict Resolution, ESSEC IRENE (ESSEC Business School France)
Other appointments
    • 2018 – 2026 : Research team member – United Nations Research Project’ Human Security Business Partnerships” (ESSEC Business School France)
    • 2014 – 2017 : Manager of a research team (EU Project Horizon 2020 Whole of Society Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding / Responsible of the work package focused on Policy recommendations to the EU) (ESSEC Business School France)
    • 2011 – 2012 : Manager of a research team (Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) France)
Distinctions
Research

Book chapters

Presentations at an Academic or Professional conference

Presentations at a Faculty research seminar

Other

Teaching
Other activities
Professional activities
  • Member of a professional association, of an expert group or of a board of directors
    • 2024 – Now: Member of Honour and Trustee, Group of European Judges for Mediation (GEMME) (GEMME EUROPE – Groupement Européen des Magistrats pour la Médiation France)
    • 2024 – Now: Member of the Scientific Advisory Board, PHAROS LAB (Observatoire Pharos )
    • 2020 – Now: Member of Honnour and Trustee (GEMME-France (Groupement Européen des Magistrats pour la Médiation-Section France) France)
    • 2018 – 2024: Trustee (Observatoire Pharos France)
    • 2015 – 2018: Trustee (European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EFPLO) Belgium)
    • 2012 – 2020: Secretary-General and Administrator (GEMME EUROPE – Groupement Européen des Magistrats pour la Médiation France)
    • 2012 – Now: Member of the European Association of Mediators, Paris Bar Mediation Centre
  • Consulting
    • 2019 – 2024: Pro Bono Advisor – Member of the Advisory Board of the Merci Fondation’s Horizon project (Refugee Inclusion) (Merci France)
Research activities
  • Role as an expert or appraisor in a research organization
    • 2022 – 2022: Member of the Jury Doctoral Thesis Prize ” Companies, Compliance and Business Ethics, Association Française des Docteurs en Droit
    • 2019 – 2019: Reviewer of the papers for the International Association for Conflict Management Conference
  • Organization of a conference or a seminar
    • 2019 – 2019: Showcasing UN Resarch Project ” Human Security Business Partnerships”, selected by the Paris Peace Forum Conference (Ministère des Affaires étrangères France)
  • Participation in scientific commissions or reviewer for a conference
    • 2019 – 2019: IACM Member of the Best paper Award Committee and Reviewer
  • Function in an academic association
    • 2015 – 2015: Member of the Business Doctoral Thesis Prize , Association française des Docteurs en Droit
Services
    • 2015 – Now: Member of admission panel (ESSEC Business School France)