• Dynamising research
• Status
• Tasks
• Thematic hubs
• Ressources
• team

The Maison des Sciences de l’Homme en Bretagne (Human Sciences Institute in Brittany) aims at structuring, dynamising and raising the profile of research in the Human and Social Sciences carried out in Brittany. It was founded by the 4 universities of Brittany and the CNRS (The French National Center for Scientific Research). It brings together over 1000 researchers and research lecturers.

The work of the 44 research units involved covers most of the subject areas in sociology, political science, psychology, literature, economics, law, etc.
Its research activity is grouped into 5 major areas:
• Armorica, Americas, Atlantic
• Arts & Creation
• Digital society
• Governance
• Societies and Health

Since May 1st, 2012 MSHB is an Unité de Service et Recherche of the CNRS (Service & Research Unit, number USR 3549, of the French National Center for Scientific Research). It is placed under the joint responsibility of the Université Rennes 2 (the parent institute) and the CNRS.

It also acts as the research platform for the Université Bretagne Loire. It belongs to the national network of Maisons des Sciences de l’Homme (Human Sciences Institutes) and work towards an international visibility of SHS research.

By promoting research, symposia, lectures, national and international contracts, the Human Sciences Institute in Brittany allows researchers from all disciplines to meet and collaborate in order to generate new themes of study in Social Sciences and Humanities. The MSHB lends its support to the creation of projects by means of its own call of proposals.

A further part of the MSHB’s remits is to support emerging subject areas which could find a place within institutional structures, and to act as a relay in accessing to national or international call of proposals ( ANR - The French National Research Agency or H2020 - EU research funding, for example). Its mission is to foster interdisciplinary work, to develop research projects involving several institutions and to encourage an international dimension.

Multidisciplinary approach

Projects to which the MSHB lends its support bring together researchers and teams working in different disciplines in Literature and the Human and Social Sciences, as well as those working in fields outside the Humanities.

Multi-institutional dynamic

The projects involve members of at least two teams belonging to at least two different institutions in the region. The same applies to projects involving a Breton team and a team working in another national or international research lab.

International outlook

The MSHB works to encourage international exchanges.

Armorica, Americas, Atlantic : this group's work relates to the areas on either side of the Atlantic – Western European countries and North and South American countries – and studies them from both a historical and a current-day perspective.

 

Arts and Creation: this research group aims at supporting innovative projects in the areas of arts and creation paying particular attention to the emergence of synergies based on interdisciplinarity. 

 

Digital society : this group aims at analysing the effects of the new technologies on public life, the different ways we can use it and the evaluation of digital policies.

Governance: the aim of the ‘Governance of Public and Private Institutions’ group is to contribute to the analysis of governance practices at all levels. It encourages work relating both to public institutions (State, local authorities, public bodies, etc.) and to private institutions (businesses, associations, etc.).

Societies and Health: this research group focuses on health practices and its representations via multidisciplinary analyses of the way authorities provide health care and treatment.

In december 2016, MSHB staff integrated a new building dedicated to its activities. This building enables to expand its research offerings. It provides researchers shared premises - offices, 1 conference room and 2 working or meeting rooms with

videoconference, audio and visual capabilities and a conference hall with 200 seats. It also provides some general services - administrative and financial support, communication services (print and web) and digital humanities engineering.