Member
Corten PÉREZ-HOUIS
Position
Associate Young Doctor
Institution
University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Team
PARIS
E-mail
corten.perez-houis ( at ) parisgeo.cnrs.fr
IdHAL corten-perez-houis
Research theme
Urban Geography, building materials, Egypt, Sudan, red brick
Transversal subjects
Stabilities and fluidity of geographical objects
Urban fabrics: processes, actors, practices
Address
Géographie-cités • Campus Condorcet
5 cours des Humanités
93322 Aubervilliers cedex (France)
Education
“The city in the mold. Order and resistance of red bricks supply chain in the urban production of Greater Cairo (Egypt) and Greater Khartoum (Sudan)” – Defense : December 6, 2024 – Jury : Barbara Casciarri (Université Paris 8 Saint-Denis, Examiner), Armelle Choplin (University of Geneva, Reporter), Éric Denis (UMR8504 Géographie-Cités, Supervisor), Alice Franck (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Co-supervisor), Roman Stadnicki (Université de Tours, Examiner), Leïla Vignal (École normale supérieure de Paris, Reporter), Serge Weber (Université Gustave Eiffel, Examiner).
- Thesis prize of the Comité national français de la géographie (CNFG)
- Thesis prize of the GIS Etudes africaines
- Special mention in the GIS MOMM thesis prize
2019-2020 Master 2 Geography/Geopolitics – University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and ENS Ulm
Research dissertation : Produce the material, build the city. The red brick chain value in Greater Khartoum (Sudan) (supervision by Eric Denis and Alice Franck)
2018-2019 Intensive training in classical and dialectal Arabic – Department of Contemporary Arabic Studies at the French Institute of Egypt (Cairo, Egypt)
2017-2018 Master 1 Geography/Geopolitics – University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and ENS Ulm
Research dissertation : Cultivate in the city : practices, dicourses, conflicts. Case studies of farming roofs and Dahab Island in Cairo (supervision by Ségolène Débarre)
2016-2017 Licence of Geography – University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
2014-2016 Preparatory class for the “grandes écoles” – Lycée Henri-IV
Professional experience
2025-2026 – Postdoctoral researcher – Circ-Boost Project, Chair in Circular Economy and Urban Metabolism, Research unit SPLOTT, University Gustave Eiffel.
2024-2025 – Temporary teaching and research assistant – University Paris Est Créteil, UFR LLSH, Geography Department
2023-2024 – Temporary teaching and research assistant – University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, UFR08 Geography
2020-2023 – PhD student on contract – University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, UFR08 Geography
2018 – Research intern – Centre d’études et de documentation économiques, juridiques et sociales (CEDEJ) in Cairo
Scientific activities
Research projects participation
2025–2026 – Horizon Europe Circ-Boost project on the circular economy and the construction industry. Postdoctoral researcher on the French pilot project.
2022-2026 — Project ANR Space And Politics: Capital Cities As Instruments Of Political Struggle And Power (Spacepol – spacepol.hypotheses.org), coordinated by Gülçin Erdi (UMR Citeres). Cairo team member, participation in the project’s seminars and publications.
September 2022 – Summer School “Researching common territories” (commonterritory.com) on the common everyday practices in South Caucasus. One week of collective fieldwork in the Marneuli municipality, to the south of Tbilissi (Georgia).
2020-2022 – Programme CliMigra_Form (climigraform.org) “Development of training in participatory and citizen inquiry on climate and migrations”, funded by the MEAE (French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs) in the framework of ADESFA (Aid for the Development of French Higher Education in Africa) with the support of FEI (France Education International), University Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint Denis (France) and University of Khartoum (Sudan).
Organisation of scientific events
June 15th–17th, 2026 – Member of the organizing committee for the international conference “Spacepol 2026 – Space and Politics in Capital Cities: International Perspectives on the Production of Urban Space,” Aubervilliers (France), https://spacepol2026.sciencesconf.org/.
September 29th–30th, 2025 – Facilitator of a workshop titled “Access to Fieldwork and Data” – Thematic Days on “Energy ‘Transitions’ in the Global South,” Aubervilliers (France), https://www.cessma.org/Journees-Thematiques-Les-transitions-energetiques-dans-les-Suds
June 24th–27th, 2025 – Workshop in an international conference, “Producing in the City, Producing the City: The Role of Productive Activities in the Urbanization of Cities in North Africa and the Middle East” – 6th Congress on Middle Eastern and Muslim World Studies, Strasbourg (France), https://momm-strasbourg.sciencesconf.org/577932.
November 4th, 2024 – Journée des jeunes chercheur-ses de l’Institut de Géographie de Paris (JIG) – “Violence, a spatial issue?” – École doctorale de géographie de Paris (EDGP), LabEx DynamiTe – Co-organization with EDGP doctoral student representatives
November 10th, 2023 – Doctoral study day – “Exploit, transport and govern resources: an analysis through and in the filières“ – Recherches-Ressources group (ressnat.hypotheses.org) – Co-organisation with Jérémy Denieulle (EA 2076 Habiter) and Ophélie Petiot (EA 2076 Habiter)
October 13th, 2023 – Study day of young scholars of the Geography Institute in Paris – “Action in research and research in action : what are the entanglements ?” – Doctoral school of Geography of Paris (EDGP), LabEx DynamiTe – Co-organisation with the PhD student representatives in EDGP
February 3rd, 2023 – Study day – “The material city” – LabEx DynamiTe (Working group “Think the urban production between Norths and Souths”), Geneva University, Urban School of Lyon – Co-organisation with Marine Frantz (UMR 8504 Géographie Cités) and Joelle Abou Issa (UMR 8504 Géographie Cités)
December 13th, 2021 – Study day – “Ethical and political issues of the enquiry in social sciences between Norths and Souths” – LabEx DynamiTe (Working group “Think the urban production between Norths and Souths”), University Paris-Cité – Co-organisation with Lucas Teiller (UMR 8504 Géographie Cités)
Participation in Research Networks
2022–present – Participation in the Recherches-Ressources research network. An interdisciplinary research group bringing together doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career researchers to address issues related to access to, transformation of, and use of resources.
2023–2024 – Participation in the MUFIN (Urban Models facing Informality) research network. A multidisciplinary network formed following an annual seminar on the challenges raised by the production, circulation, and reception of urban models and their relationship to dynamics, practices, processes, and systems of operation characterized as “informal.”
Teaching
Courses Taught by Academic Year
2025–2026: Temporary lecturer, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne and University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
- Geopolitics of Europe, Master’s 1, CM and TD, 28 h
- Geopolitics of Africa, M1, CM and TD, 28 h
- Survey Techniques, L3, integrated Course, 49.5 h
2024-2025 : Temporary teaching and research associate, Université Paris Est Créteil
- Introduction to geography, L1, integrated course, 36h
- Urban geography, L3, TD, 19.5h
- Survey techniques, L3, TD, 26h
- Political geography, L3, CM and TD, 66h
- Planning themes, L3, CM and TD, 26h
- Spatial analysis, L3, TD, 19.5h
2023-2024 : Temporary teaching and research assistant, University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
- Cartography and statistics, L1 (24h)
- GIS, L2 (20h)
- Globalisation and territories, L2 (26,5h)
- Cities and urban societies, L3 (19,5h)
- Development, research methods and controversies, M1 (6h)
2022-2023 : PhD student on contract, Teaching fellow, University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
- Cartography and statistics, L1 (45h)
2021-2022 : PhD student on contract, Teaching fellow, University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
- Populations and mobilities, L2 (39h)
- Initiation to territorial diagnosis in the field, L2 (20h)
- Statistics, L2 (29h)
- Cities and urban societies, L3 (19,5h)
2020-2021 : PhD student on contract, Teaching fellow, University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
- Populations and mobility, L2 (19,5h)
- Initiation to territorial diagnosis in the field, L2 (20h)
Supervision of research dissertations
Thieffry, Heidi, (thesis in progress). Yemeni restaurants in Amman (Jordan), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Master’s 2 in Geopolitics, co-supervised by Marine Poirier (CNRS, IREMAM).
Clément, Mathis, (thesis in progress). Forest management in the Landes de Gascogne (France), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Master’s 1 in Geopolitics.
Koura, Nazofat, (thesis in progress). Land issues and intermediary elites in the outskirts of Accra (Ghana), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Master’s 1 in Geopolitics.
Challa, Etienne (thesis in progress). The arrival of NBA Europe in Athens (Greece), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Master’s 1 in Geopolitics, co-supervised with Cyril Blondel (URCA, Habiter).
Giraudy, Valentin, 2024. Accéder au fleuve en milieu urbain, le cas de la nouvelle corniche du Caire, University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Master 1 Geography Dynamics of emerging and developing countries, co-supervision with Alice Franck (UMR8586 Prodig). Defended September 5, 2024.
Calori, Antoine, 2024. Les transformations urbaines dans la Cité des Morts du Caire : Confrontations entre monde des vivants et monde des morts, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Master 1 Geography Dynamics of emerging and developing countries, co-supervision with Alice Franck (UMR8586 Prodig). Defended July 9, 2024.
Achiri, Nawal. 2022. From Cairo’s water to Munira’s waters : access, practices and representations of resource, University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Master 1 Geography Dynamics of emerging and developing countries, co-supervision with Alice Franck (UMR8586 Prodig). Defended July 8, 2022.
One-off interventions
“Working on Cities in the Global South: Research Methodology and Field Experience (Cairo–Khartoum),” session from the course “Research Methodology,” Master 2 GéoSuds, Sorbonne University, December 2nd, 2025
“Filming the Red Bricks: An Overview of the Stigmatization of Informal Neighborhoods in Cairo (Egypt),” session of the course “Iconography in Geography,” Master 2 Géoprisme, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, November 27th, 2025
“Working on Cities in the Global South: Research Methodology and Field Experience (Cairo-Khartoum),” session of the course “Urbanism in the Global South,” ENS Ulm, October 2nd, 2025
“Producing materials, building cities in the Middle East: the example of red brick in Cairo (Egypt) and Khartoum (Sudan)”, session in the course “Cities and capitalism in the 21st century: restructuring, power and inequality”, SciencesPo Paris, 2nd year, April 9, 2025
“From the brick to the building, from the material to the city. Geopolitics of urban spaces through building materials supply chains”, session from the class “Natural resources and ecological transition, geopolitical analysis”, University Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL), 2nd year, December 12th, 2022
“From the brick to the building, from the material to the city. Geopolitics of urban spaces through building materials supply chains”, session from the class “Geopolitics of ressources and objects” , École des Ponts ParisTech, 2nd year, Octobre 21st, 2022
Publications
Articles in peer-reviewed journals
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2026. « Declining red brick factories in Greater Cairo (Egypt) : Unveiling military-led urbanization through its productive peripheries ». Geographica Helvetica, 81(1), 207‑222. https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-207-2026
Pérez-Houis, Corten and Alice Franck. 2024. “De la relégation à l’appropriation : (re)lire la citadinité à Khartoum au prisme de la transformation matérielle, sociale et symbolique de ses périphéries,” EchoGéo [Online], 67 | 2024, online June 10, 2024. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/echogeo/26947; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/11y01
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2024. “The Deserted Red Brick Factories in Greater Cairo: From One Welfare State to Another”, Egypt Sudan Arab Worlds [Online], 25 | 2024, Online since January 13, 2025, http://journals.openedition.org/esma/3327
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2022. “Cadre législatif et production de briques rouges à Khartoum (Soudan) : entre protection de l’environnement et stratégies d’aménagement des espaces urbains centraux”. Sources. Materials & Fieldwork in African Studies n° 4 : 197-240. https://www.sources-journal.org/721
Special issues introductions
Abou Issa, Joëlle, Marine Frantz, and Corten Pérez-Houis. 2026. « Matérialités urbaines : une lecture politique des productions, circulations et transformations des matières dans la ville ». Annales de géographie 767‑768 (1‑2): 5‑15. https://doi.org/10.3917/ag.767.0005.
Denieulle, Jérémy, Pérez-Houis, Corten and Ophélie Petiot. 2025. « Exploiter, transporter et gouverner les ressources. Une analyse par et dans les filières », L’Espace Politique [En ligne], 55-56 | 2025-1/2. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/14688 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/15aov.
Conference proceedings
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2024. « From the silt to the shale clay, from the valley to the desert : the material transformations of the red brick and its supply chain in Egypt and Sudan », in Joffroy, Thierry, Crosby, Tony, Gandreau, David, Hubert, Alix, Marchi, Séverine, et Jeffrey Spencer, (dir.), 2024. Nile’s Earth 2023 International Conference : study and conservation of earthen archaeological sites in ancient Egypt and Sudan, 4-5-6 July 2023. Actes. Villefontaine : CRAterre. 237 p. ISBN 979-10-96446-52-0. https://hal.science/hal-04516726v1
Other publications
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2025. “Voir la métropolisation par les matériaux de construction : le cas de la filière de la brique rouge au Caire (Égypte)”, Historiens & Géographes, n°469, section “Les villes d’Afrique du Nord”, p.86-90.
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2024 “Le Caire en chantier, la brique rouge en voie de disparition ?”, Métropolitiques, March 21st, 2024. DOI : https://doi.org/10.56698/metropolitiques.2017
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2024. “Du moule à la norme : vers une standardisation des matériaux de construction et de la production de la ville à Khartoum (Soudan)”. Eclosion (1): 12. https://normandie-univ.hal.science/hal-04488597
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2024. “Les briqueteries sur les berges du Nil à Khartoum (Soudan) : vers une gestion “durable” ?”, Zones Humides Infos, n°105.
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2023. “Les ressources argileuses dans la production des briques rouges en Égypte et au Soudan, entre protection de l’environnement, intérêts économiques et convoitises foncières”, Recherches-Ressources, https://ressnat.hypotheses.org/1065.
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2022. “Chanson ‘Une brique sur une autre’ – Amal Maher – طوبة فوق طوبة” (traduction), Les Carnets du Cedej, https://egrev.hypotheses.org/2061, May 9th, 2022.
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2022. “Du moule à la norme : vers une standardisation des matériaux de construction et de la production de la ville à Khartoum (Soudan) ?”, Métathèses, Carnet de recherches des doctorants en sciences humaines et sociales de l’Université Le Havre Normandie, https://metatheses.hypotheses.org/915, May 6th, 2022.
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2021. “Choplin A. Matière grise de l’urbain. La vie du ciment en Afrique. Métis Presse, 2020, 252 p.”, “Comptes rendus”, Annales de géographie, vol. 739-740, no. 3-4, 2021, pp. 178-183. – link
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2021. “Les toits du Caire. De la production alimentaire aux fantasmes du développement”, Études et documents du CEDEJ, n°26 (Octobre) – link
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2021. “Le contexte économique difficile de la production de briques industrielles à Arab Abu Said” (traduction), Les Carnets du Cedej, https://egrev.hypotheses.org/1702, June 28th, 2021.
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2021. “Dahab, une île agricole au centre du Caire”, Les Carnets du Cedej, https://egrev.hypotheses.org/1667, May 5th, 2021.
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2019. “Les pigeonniers à Louxor : agriculture, loisir et tourisme”, Orients Occidents, https://orientsoccidents.hypotheses.org/1225, May 27th, 2019.
Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2019. “Vendeur de volaille, une profession en sursis” (traduction), Les Carnets du Cedej, https://egrev.hypotheses.org/1585, May 26th, 2019.
Caubet, Ariel et Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2019. “2/2 Un pigeonnier au Caire : enjeux économiques, politiques et sanitaires غاوي الحمام في القاهرة : مسائل اقتصادية، سياسية و صحية”, Orients Occidents, https://orientsoccidents.hypotheses.org/1092, January 13th, 2019.
Caubet, Ariel et Pérez-Houis, Corten. 2019. “1/2 Un pigeonnier au Caire : un passionné parmi les passionnés غاوي الحمام في القاهرة”, Orients Occidents, https://orientsoccidents.hypotheses.org/992, January 13th, 2019.
Oral communications
International conferences and symposia
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2026, « Building (in) the « New Republic » : excluding or standardising red brick in Greater Cairo’s construction », Colloque SpacePol, Session « Governance, Environment, and Public Spaces From the Perspective of Capital Cities », June 15th-16th, 2026, Aubervilliers (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2026, « Public policies promoting the circular economy in light of the economic and logistical practices of construction industry stakeholders: the case of the reuse of finishing materials in the Île-de-France region », APERAU – Rencontres Internationales en Urbanisme 2026, June 10th, 2026, Toulouse (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2024, “From one building material to another, from one city to another : red brick production at the margins of Greater Cairo (Egypt)”, Swiss Geoscience Meeting 2024, Session “Human Geographies : critical perspectives from the margins”, November 9th, 2024, Bâle (Suisse).
Blond, Ninon, Licitra, Nadia et Corten Pérez-Houis, 2024, « Sails over cities, bricks on the Nile: in Sudan, building with mud from the Neolithic age… to the present day!”, Festival International de Géographie de Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, October 6th, 2024, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “Deserted factories: The recent decay of the industrial red brick production in Egyptian construction sector and cities”, RGS-IBG Conference 2023, September 1st, 2023, Session “Socio-Ecological Landscapes of Global Manufacturing”, London (United Kingdom).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “The daily building of a capital city from its margins. The red brick supply chain and the urbanization processes in Cairo (Egypt)”, Symposium “Marginal urbanities. The hidden face of planetary urbanization”, Università della Svizzera italiana (Istituto di studi urbani e del paesaggio), July 10th, 2023, Session « Metabolisms and operational landscapes », Mendrisio (Switzerland).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “From the Nile silt to the shale clay, from the valley to the desert : the material transformations of the red brick and its supply chain in Egypt and Sudan”, Nile’s Earth International Conference, ENSAG, University Grenoble-Alpes, July 5th, 2023, Session « Raw and building materials », Grenoble (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “From red brick to cement block, or how the military state takes over Cairo’s urbanization”, 4th symposium of the International network of studies on space production (RIEPE) “Space production in 21st century. Power struggles, the power of struggles”, June 27th, 2023, Session “Powers, control of urban production and symbolic space”, Lyon (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “Building the sustainable city : towards a critical approach of contemporary urbanization processes through the red brick supply chains in Cairo and Khartoum”, Urban Ecologies of the Lower Nile Valley, Cedej and AUC, June 12th, 2023, Session “Building the Valley”, Cairo (Egypt).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “Choosing the brick, building the city. An insight into the daily making of Khartoum (Sudan)”, ECAS9 Conference: African futures, May 31st, 2023, Session “Narrating the city builder: rethinking value, capitalism and the urban”, Cologne (Germany).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “Sustainable management of wetlands in the heart of Khartoum (Sudan). Productive activities, urbanisation and land covetousness at the confluence of the two Niles”, University of Orléans, Water in the city: amenities and vulnerabilities of urban wetlands in the North and South in the face of climate change, March 12th, 2023, Session “Public policies, sustainable cities and wetlands”, Bourges (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2022, “The Nile silt in the production of red bricks in Egypt and Sudan, between environment conservation, economic interests and land covestousness”, Session “Geopolitics of natural ressources at the time of the socio-ecological transition”, Congress of the centennial of the International Geographic Union (IGU), July 19th, 2022, Paris (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2022, “Building the material city : the techno-political marginalization of the red brick in Cairo (Egypt)”, Session “Reactivating Urban Matters”, EASST 2022 Politics of technoscientific futures, July 8th, 2022, Madrid (Spain).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2022, “Metabolism as a strategy for policy makers : the marginalization of the red brick in Khartoum (Sudan) and Cairo (Egypt)”, International symposium “Metabolism studies: materiality and relationality in the Anthropocene”, Studio Metabolism (Urban School of Lyon), June 30th, 2022, Lyon (France).
National conferences and study days
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2026, “Stakeholders and Reuse Channels in the Finishing Trade: The Case of the BTP Match Digital Platform in the Île-de-France Region – Circ-Boost Project,” Conference on “The Social and Regional Challenges of the Circular Economy in Construction”, Session on “Regional Organization of Reuse and Recycling Channels ” (Agnès Bastin, Gaia Marchesini, and Luca Maricchiolo), Gustave Eiffel University, March 25th, 2026, Champs-sur-Marne (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2025, “From Quarries to Construction Sites: Regulating Environmental Nuisances Associated with the Red Brick Sectors in Cairo (Egypt) and Khartoum (Sudan),” Interdisciplinary Study Day “Materials: What Challenges in the 21st Century?”, Paris Est Créteil University, June 25th, 2025, Créteil (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “Urban and sensitive fieldworks’ materiality: Cairo and Khartoum’s transformations through building materials supply chains”, Study day “The material city”, Labex Dynamite, February 3rd, 2023, Aubervilliers (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2021, “Building appropriations at each step : the inhabitant-architect in Khartoum (Sudan)”, Doctoral Seminar “From the built to the home”, ENSAB – GRIEF, December 3rd, 2021, Rennes (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2021, “From the mould to the norm : towards a standardisation of the city of Khartoum (Sudan)”, Doctoral Seminar “Enter the mould ?”, University of Le Havre – PRSH, December 2nd, 2021, Le Havre (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2020, “For an approach to urban spaces by the building materials”, Doctoriales Prodig (UMR 8586) 2020, November 30th, 2020, Aubervilliers (France).
Seminars and workshops
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2026, “The City in the Mold: Regulation and Resistance in the Red Brick Industry in the Construction of Greater Cairo (Egypt) and Greater Khartoum (Sudan),” CESSMA Seminar, organized by Anne Bouhali and Mériam Cheikh, Université Paris Cité, May 21st, 2026, Paris (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2026, “Standardizing the Brick to Modernize the City. A socio-technical approach to red brick supply chains in the construction of Greater Cairo (Egypt) and Greater Khartoum (Sudan), LISST-CIEU Annual Seminar, Session “Building the City in the Global South: From Technomodernism to Interculturality,” Toulouse Jean Jaurès University, February 6th, 2026, Toulouse (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2026, “From the Nile to the Seine, from the factory to reuse. Infrastructure, Logistical Challenges, and Building Materials in Cairo (Egypt), Khartoum (Sudan), and Île-de-France (France),” Splott Seminar, Session “Logistical Challenges in Construction Between the North and the South,” Gustave Eiffel University, February 9th, 2026, Champs-sur-Marne (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2025, “From Soil to Brick: Environmental, Social, and Political Issues in the Production of Red Bricks in Cairo (Egypt) and Khartoum (Sudan),” Research Seminar “Inhabiting the World. Occupying, transforming, preserving,” ED 395 Espaces, Temps, Cultures Doctoral School, Paris Nanterre University, March 27th, 2025, Nanterre (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “Tracking Construction Materials to Analyze Contemporary Urban Transformations. A Geographical Approach Based on the Red Brick Supply Chains in Cairo (Egypt) and Khartoum (Sudan),” IEDES, Automat Seminar, December 7th, 2023, Nogent-sur-Marne (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “On the margins of dubaisation, the place of red brick in the production of contemporary Cairo”, Seminar “Urban models in the face of informality: what contributions for territorial production?”, UMR 8586 Prodig, May 25th, 2023, Session “What remains at the margins or outside the models?”, Aubervilliers (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “From the ‘traditional’ red brick to the industrialized cement block in Khartoum and Cairo: toward a modern and standardized city?”, Network of Urban Studies in Egypt Seminar, March 15th, 2023, Cairo (Egypt).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “Producing the material, building the modern city. The red brick industry in Greater Cairo (Egypt) and Greater Khartoum (Sudan)”, Team seminar, UMR 8504 Géographie Cités, February 17th, 2023, Aubervilliers (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2023, “Building the capital city : urbanisation and industrial production of red bricks in Cairo and its margins”, ANR Spacepol seminar (Space And Politics: Capital Cities As Instruments Of Political Struggle And Power), January 10th, 2023, Cairo (Egypt).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2022, “Class insights from the 2017 housing census: the case of the Giza Governorate,” Egyclass Data, Sources, and Methods Workshop (Theme 2: The Space-Class Nexus), May 23rd, 2022, Cairo (Egypt).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2022, “For or against environment protection ? The mobilization of institutional actors against red brick producers in Khartoum (Sudan)”, Séminaire Espaces Mob, Labex Dynamite, April 11th, 2022, from Khartoum (Sudan).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2022, “The Brick Kilns in Khartoum as Contested Urban Environments: Accessing, Analyzing, and Cross-Referencing Written Sources,” Cedej Khartoum Workshop, April 5th, 2022 (https://cedejsudan.hypotheses.org/4041), Khartoum (Sudan).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2021, “Be careful ! But to what? Methodological adaptations in a “difficult” security context”, Meeting of doctoral students from Géographie-Cités and Prodig, June 7th, 2021, Aubervilliers (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2021, “From Khartoum to Cairo, the long quiet river of comparison? Methodological reflections from the two red brick sectors in Egypt and Sudan”, Doctoral workshop of Cedej in Cairo, May 27th, 2021, Cairo (Egypt).
Other types of communications
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2026, Participation in the roundtable discussion “Sharing Earthen Architecture: Between Cultural Mediation and Environmental Awareness,” Launch Symposium of the UnivEARTHal International Network, March 9th, 2026, Nanterre (France).
Pérez-Houis Corten, 2025, “Viewing Metropolization Through Building Materials: The Case of Red Brick in Cairo (Egypt),” Presentation to a class at Jean-Claude Chabanne Middle School, May 7th, 2025, Pontoise (France).
Pérez-Houis, Corten, 2025, “Studying Metropolization Through Building Materials: The Case of Red Brick in Cairo,” Training session at the IISMM (Institute for the Study of Islam and Societies of the Muslim World), EHESS, February 5th, 2025, Paris (France).
Administrative responsibilities
2022–2024 – Elected representative of doctoral students at the Paris Doctoral School of Geography (EDGP) – Organized the Institute of Geography’s Young Researchers’ Day, participated in the Doctoral School’s advisory boards, facilitated the flow of information from doctoral students to the Doctoral School, organized office hours and general assemblies, and drafted a welcome guide for doctoral students.
2020–2022 – Member of the organizing team for the PhD Student Meetings of UMR 8504 Géographie Cités and UMR 8586 Prodig. – Organized monthly meetings within the two laboratories, featuring presentations by PhD students and external speakers, in an open-format setting.
Honors, Awards and Fellowships
2025 Thesis prize of the Comité national français de la géographie (CNFG)
2025 Thesis prize of the GIS Etudes africaines
2025 Special mention in the GIS MOMM thesis prize
2021 Scholarship for the “International Mobility” program of the College of doctoral schools of the University of Paris 1
2020 Field scholarship, Cedej Khartoum
2020 Mobility grant, Maghreb Middle East Center (University of Paris 1)
