Is it permissible to study the Torah and the Gospel at a French university in order to prepare a comparative religious dissertation in Islamic studies?

It is not permissible for a layperson to read the books of the People of the Book due to the distortion and alteration they contain, and because the Qur’an suffices. As for specialists who can distinguish truth from falsehood, it is permissible for them to study these books with the aim of exposing their distortions and contradictions, and for the purpose of inviting to Islam. However, this must be done with extreme caution to prevent their ideas from infiltrating, and with the mindset of a discerning and critical Muslim.

This is not considered part of the forbidden taking from the People of the Book; rather, it is for a legitimate Sharia objective.