Amos Fergombé: At the helm of LARSH, a laboratory in motion

Amos Fergombé, university professor in the performing arts, is the new director of the LARSH (Laboratoire de Recherche Sociétés et Humanités) at the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France and INSA Hauts-de-France. After 14 years at the University of Artois, he returned to the University of Valenciennes in 2018 to head a DeScripto research unit, now one of LARSH's three departments and bringing together researchers in literature, the arts, linguistics and the humanities. "Our strength? Crossing disciplines to imagine cross-disciplinary projects" he emphasizes.

In 2019, he is setting up the Master Humanités Numériques, which sits at the crossroads of the humanities and computer science, illustrating his passion for innovation in teaching.

Why direct LARSH?
Amos Fergombé was elected Director of LARSH on October 15, 2025. A responsibility he takes on with enthusiasm, motivated by the laboratory's unique potential:
"The LARSH brings together a large number of researchers, PhD students, and administrative colleagues. Our strength lies in creating links between researchers by building joint, cross-disciplinary projects. The LARSH must be at the forefront of tomorrow's societal challenges, such as artificial intelligence and the ecological transition."
For him, the LARSH is a key element in the development of the future. For him, LARSH is a space for the convergence of disciplines (art, audiovisual, communication, law, economics, geography, management, history, literature, languages, sport, ...), a fertile ground for innovative approaches and bold creations.

Amos Fergombé identifies three major challenges for LARSH:

1. Transversality: "The laboratory's vocation is not just to cultivate very personal objects, but to identify points of connection between researchers," he explains. The challenge? Overcoming disciplinary boundaries to enrich collective thinking.
2. PhD students, spearheading research: "Doctoral students are renewing research objects and creating vitality within LARSH. It's up to us to support and accompany this research under construction."
3. Territorial anchoring: "We must resonate with our socio-economic and cultural environment," he insists. The objective? Raise the profile of research to attract new talent and create local partnerships (hospitals, cultural institutions, businesses).

The new LARSH director is banking on the establishment's strategic hubs to "make LARSH shine". "We need to encourage researchers to join these dynamics, because that's where resources and collaborations are played out," he insists. Other suggested directions include: intensifying seminars, establishing collaborations with local players (hospitals, cultural institutions, businesses), and greater "permeability" between master's programs and the laboratory. "Masters programs are breeding grounds for future PhD students. They need to be opened up to research early," he asserts.

Amos Fergombé wants a modern, ambitious vision for LARSH: a laboratory that is open, interdisciplinary and rooted in its territory. For him, LARSH can write a new page marked by innovation, collaboration and societal impact.