Magalie Bourblanc: Destination Arizona with Fulbright
Magalie Bourblanc is a political science researcher specializing in agricultural, water, and environmental policy at the G-EAU laboratory (CIRAD). As part of her Fulbright research grant, she will join the University of Arizona in the United States in January 2026.
Her award-winning research project is entitled: "Exploring win-win solutions within the nexus of Food, Energy and Water systems, with particular attention to the development of agrivoltaics and data centers for artificial intelligence." For six months, she will be hosted by IGlobes (Interdisciplinary & Global Environmental Studies), a joint research center of the CNRS (international research lab) and the University of Arizona, as part of her Fulbright research grant.
Digital infrastructure and natural resources
This project will examine the environmental impacts and challenges posed by the large-scale deployment of digital infrastructure such as data centers, and the social and political tensions they can cause, particularly with the agricultural sector in Arizona. The project will examine how these digital infrastructures can directly or indirectly increase pressure on natural resources (primarily land and water).
It will also involve analyzing how these environmental and social concerns contribute to shaping the development of these infrastructures and the public policies that accompany or regulate them. This case study is part of the priority research themes of the France-Arizona Institute for Global Grand Challenges, which aims to reflect on the conditions for a sustainable and equitable digital revolution.
The University of Montpellier and the Franco-American Fulbright Commission have signed an agreement establishing research grants for researchers affiliated with the University who wish to visit an American university or research institute, and vice versa. These grants cover mobility for 3 to 12 months, depending on the research project.