Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Berlin Institute for Empirical Integration and Migration Research (BIM)

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin | BIM | People | Department Chairs | Prof. Dr. Manuela Bojadzijev

Prof. Dr. Manuela Bojadžijev

Tel: +49 (0)30 2093-46255
manuela.bojadzijev@hu-berlin.de
 

 

  • Chair of Migration in a Global Perspective

Email: manuela.bojadzijev@hu-berlin.de

 
Institution

Humboldt University → Executive Board → Faculty of Philosophy → Institute for European Ethnology
     

Position / Area of Responsibility

Associate Dean for International Affairs, Faculty of Philosophy at Humboldt University of Berlin
and Deputy Executive Director of the Institute for European Ethnology / European Ethnology
and Migration Research


Position / Area of Responsibility

Head of the Department of “Migration in a Global Perspective”
Location: Anton-Wilhelm Amo-Str. 40-41, Room 214
Phone: (030) 2093 70842 

  

Profile

 

Since 2020, W3 Professor of “Culture and Lifestyles in an Immigration Society” at BIM/HU Berlin.

From 2015 to 2020, Professor of Globalized Cultures at Leuphana University Lüneburg.

Manuela Bojadžijev served as a research associate at the Institute for European Ethnology at Humboldt University of Berlin from 2010 to 2015 and previously worked at Freie Universität Berlin, City University (University of London), Goldsmiths (University of London), and Goethe University Frankfurt (project “Transit Migration”), among others. During her doctoral studies, she held a PhD fellowship at the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt am Main.

  

Research Focus

 

My research focuses on migration from a global perspective, as well as globalized and digital cultures. In addition to conceptual, methodological, and epistemological questions in migration studies, I am interested in the “debate over migration” within migration societies and in how social change is narrated, experienced, and played out in and through representations of migration and displacement. Furthermore, I investigate—mostly through interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations—current processes of transformation in mobility, migration, and racism in conjunction with changes in work and everyday life driven by digitalization and logistics, particularly in urban spaces and geopolitical contexts.
  

Current Research Projects

 

  • “Transforming Solidarities: Practices and Infrastructures in a Migration Society,” project led by Robin Celikates, Stefan Gosepath (FU Berlin), Moritz Altenried, Rahel Jaeggi, Wolfgang Kaschuba (Humboldt University), Ulrike Kluge (Charité), Matthias Berek, Sabine Hark, Hannah Meißner, Philipp Misselwitz, Stefanie Schüler-Springorum (TU Berlin), and other project and cooperation partners as part of the Berlin University Alliance, Grand Challenge Social Cohesion, 10/2020–10/23. Online at: https://transformingsolidarities.net/de/
  • CHANSE (Collaboration of Humanities and Social Sciences in Europe): “SoLiXG: The Social Life of XG – Digital infrastructures and the reconfiguration of sovereignty and imagined communities,” Co-leadership, in cooperation with Linköping University, the University of Linz, the University of Plymouth, and practice partners from business and civil society, Duration: 2022–2025. https://chanse.org/solixg/
  • Volkswagen Foundation funding initiative “Aufbruch”: “Inventory and Invention. Migration as a Prism for the Crises of Our Time,” in cooperation with Robin Celikates, FU Berlin; Duration: 2023–2024.
  • “Night Spaces: Migration, Culture, and Integration in Europe [NITE],” Project Lead, in collaboration with Dr. Sara Brandellero (Leiden University), Dr. Ben Campkin (University of London), Dr. Derek Pardue (Aarhus University), and Dr. Ailbhe Kenny (Mary Immaculate College, Limerick) as part of the HERA Joint Research Program “Public Spaces: Culture and Integration in Europe,” April 2019–March 2022. Website: https://www.nightspace.net/
  • “Cultures of Rejection. Conditions of Acceptability in Socio-Spatial and Digital Environments (CURE)” (Jan. 2019–Jan. 2022) in collaboration with Stefan Jonsson from the Institute for Research on Migration, Ethnicity and Society (REMESO) at Linköping University (Sweden), Birgit Sauer from the University of Vienna (Austria), Sanja Bojanic from the Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Rijeka (Croatia), and Irena Fiket from the Institute for Theory and Society at the University of Belgrade, and in cooperation (International Advisory Board) with Michael Keith (Oxford) and Eric Fassin (Paris), funded by the Volkswagen Foundation under the “Challenges for Europe” program. Online at: www.culturesofrejection.net
  • Together with Carolin Emcke, she curates the “Archive of Flight” at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation.
  • “The Geopolitics of Automation,” in collaboration with Brett Neilson and Ned Rossiter of Western Sydney University, funded by the Australian Research Council under the “Discovery Project” program (2020–2024)
  • “Night Spaces: Migration, Culture, and Integration in Europe [NITE],” Project Leader, in collaboration with Dr. Sara Brandellero (Leiden University), Dr. Ben Campkin (University of London), Dr. Derek Pardue (University of Aarhus), Dr. Ailbhe Kenny (Mary Immaculate College Limerick) as part of the HERA Joint Research Program “Public Spaces: Culture and Integration in Europe,” 04/2019–03/2022. Website: https://www.nightspace.net/
  • “Cultures of Rejection. Conditions of Acceptability in Socio-Spatial and Digital Environments (CURE)” (01/2019–01/2022) in collaboration with Stefan Jonsson from the Institute for Research on Migration, Ethnicity and Society (REMESO) at Linköping University (Sweden), Birgit Sauer from the University of Vienna (Austria), Sanja Bojanic from the Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Rijeka (Croatia), and Irena Fiket from the Institute for Theory and Society at the University of Belgrade, and in cooperation (International Advisory Board) with Michael Keith (Oxford) and Eric Fassin (Paris), funded by the Volkswagen Foundation under the “Challenges for Europe” program. Online at: www.culturesofrejection.net
  • Together with Carolin Emcke, she curates the “Archive of Flight” at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation.
  • “The Geopolitics of Automation,” together with Brett Neilson and Ned Rossiter from Western Sydney University, funded by the Australian Research Council under the “Discovery Project” program (2020–2024)

 

Past Research Projects and Teaching

  

  • Head of the project "Worlding Cities. Migration and Cohesion in the Digitally Networked City" (11/2019-12/20) of the Berlin University Alliance, Grand Challenge Social Cohesion together with project partners Ulrike Kluge (Charité), Stefanie Schüler-Springorum (Centre for Research on Anti-Semitism, TU Berlin), Philipp Misselwitz (Habitat Unit TU Berlin), Mark Graham (Oxford University).
  • Head of the small-scale research project "Migration as a central perspective on society" (11/2015-04/2019) at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
  • Direction of the DAAD-funded project "Between Logistics and Migration: Duisburg and the New Silk Road" (2017-2018) with Brett Neilson and Ned Rossiter from the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University and Armin Beverungen from the University of Siegen as project partners.
  • Research & Conference Project "Dangerous Conjunctures. On the Actuality of Balibar/Wallerstein's Race, Class, Nation" took place at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt from 15 March 2018 to 17 March 2018, co-curated with Katrin Klingan (and in cooperation with Theo Geoldberg, Francoise Verges, Sandro Mezzadra, Veronica Gago as well as Kaushik Sunder Rajan), material and videos can be found online at: https://www.hkw.de/de/programm/projekte/2018/gefaehrliche_konjunkturen/gefaehrliche_konjunkturen_start.php
  • 2015-2016: "Migration as a Central Perspective. Discourses, Institutions, Migrant Practices", funded by Leuphana University Lüneburg, small research project.
  • Research projects on "Desolidarisation and Racism" (2016) and "Logistics of Flight" (2016) as part of the "Flight Cluster" at BIM.
  • A series of international summer universities from 2013-2016: Teaching the Crisis (2013) (funded by DAAD and Humboldt University), "Expanding the Margins" (2014) & "Investigating Logistics" (2016-2017) (funded by the KOSMOS programme of Humboldt University) together with KOSMOS Fellow Sandro Mezzadra (University of Bologna) and Michael Hardt (Duke University) as well as Brett Neilson & Ned Rossiter (University of Western Sydney, Institute for Culture and Society). All online at: www.teachingthecrisis.net

   

Publications

Monograph

  • Bojadžijev, M. (2025). Die windige Internationale. Rassismus und Kämpfe der Migration. 3. Auflage mit neuem Vorwort. Münster: Westfälisches Dampfboot. 


Editor and co-author of books

 

Key topics in journals 

  • Bojadžijev, M., Celikates, R., and Mecheril, P. (eds.). (2025). Special Issue “The Racism Debate in Germany: Concepts of Anti-racism and Matters of Solidarity”. Ethnic and Racial Studies. 48(7). Advance online publication.
  • Bojadžijev, M., Sharma, M, and Schramm, K. (eds.). (2023). Undoing Race and Racism, Blog Series. Boasblog, ongoing.
  • Bojadžijev, M., Opratko, B. (eds.). (2022). Cultures of Rejection. Special Issue of Patterns of Prejudice,  56 (4-5), DOI: 10.1080/0031322X.2023.2214425.
  • Arnold, S., Apicella, A. und Bojadžijev, M. (Hrsg.). (2018): Grounding Logistics. Ethnographische Zugriffe auf Logistik, Migration und Mobilität, Berliner Blätter, Nr. 73, Berlin: Panama Verlag.
  • Bojadžijev, M., Römhild, R. et al. (Hrsg.). (2014): Vom Rand ins Zentrum. Perspektiven für eine kritische Migrationsforschung. Berliner Blätter, Nr. 65, Berlin: Panama Verlag.

 

Articles in academic journals

  • Bojadžijev, M., Harder, A. (2026). Vom Netzwerk zum Stapel. Neue Allegorien für die ethnografische Erforschung des Digitalen. In: Berliner Blätter. Im Erscheinen.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2025). Racism or racisms? Rethinking differentiation and the significance of solidarity. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 48(7), 1319–1337. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2024.2446489.
  • Bojadžijev, M., Brenner, M., Schüler-Springorum, S., and Zadoff, M. (2025). Antisemitism and racism revisited: historical genealogies and current research debates. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 48(7), 1412–1428. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2024.2446496.
  • Bojadžijev, M., and Opratko, B. (2022). Introducing ‘cultures of rejection’: an investigation of the conditions of acceptability of right-wing politics in Europe. Patterns of Prejudice, 56(4–5), 205-218. https://doi.org/10.1080/0031322X.2023.2214425.
  • Bojadžijev, M., Eckert, C. und Speck, S. (2023). Auch eine Geschichte des IfS. Ein Gespräch über feministische und rassismuskritische Forschung am Institut. WestEnd, 20(2), 101-114. https://doi.org/10.5771/1860-2177-2023-2-101.
  • Altenried, M, Animento, S., Bojadžijev, M. (2021). Plattform-Urbanismus: Digitale Plattformen, Arbeit und die Transformation des städtischen Raums. sub\urban. zeitschrift für kritische stadtforschung; Themenschwerpunkt »Kritische Perspektiven auf Stadt und Digitalisierung«. https://doi.org/10.36900/suburban.v9i1/2.605.
  • Aradau, C., Bhandar, B., Bojadžijev, M., Cisneros, J.D., De Genova, N., Eckert, J., Fontanari, E., Golash-Boza, T., Huysmans, J., Khosravi, S., Lecadet, C., Macías Rojas, P., Mazzara, F., McNevin, A., Nyers, P. Rigo, E., Scheel, S., Sharma, N., Stierl, M., Squire, V., Tazzioli, M., van Baar, H., Walters, W. (2021). Minor Keywords of Political Theory: Migration as a Critical Standpoint. Environment and Planning C: Politics & Space. 40(4), 781-875. https://doi.org/10.1177/2399654420988563.
  • Bojadžijev, M., Altenried, M., Höfler, L., Mezzadra, S. und Wallis, M. (2018). Arbeit, Migration und Logistik. Vermittlungsinfrastrukturen nach dem Sommer der Migration. Movements. Journal for Critical Migration and Border Regime Studies, 4(2), 35-56. http://movements-journal.org/issues/07.open-call/03.altenried,bojadzijev,hofler,mezzadra,wallis--arbeit-migration-und-logistik.html.
  • (translated) Bojadžijev, M., Altenried, M., Höfler, L., Mezzadra, S. und Wallis, M. (2018). Logistical Borderscapes. Politics and Mediation of Mobile Labor in Germany after the Summer of Migration. South Atlantic Quarterly, 117(2), 291-312. https://doi.org/10.1215/00382876-4374845.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2018). Migration as a social seismograph. An Analysis of Germany’s “Refugee Crisis” Controversy. International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, 31(4), 335–356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10767-018-9286-x.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2018): Migration und Integration. Zur Genealogie des zentralen Dispositivs in der Migrationsgesellschaft. In Buden, B., Dokuzovic, L. (Hrsg.): They’ll never walk alone. The Life and Afterlife of Gastarbeiters (S. 53-70). Wien, Linz, London, Zurich, Málage: transversal texts. (Wiederabdruck)
  • Bojadžijev, M., Nikita D., und Christoph M. (2017). Aber wer sind ›sie‹? Roundtablegespräch, moderiert von Helmut Draxler zu Flucht und Migration als Herausforderung des politischen Denkens. Texte zur Kunst, 105(27), 35-62. https://www.textezurkunst.de/de/105/aber-wer-sind-sie/.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2016). Doing Commons. Gentrifizierung oder das Ringen um das Gemeinsame im städtischen Raum. Österreichische Zeitschrift für Volkskunde, 119(3-4), 274-292. ULR: https://www.volkskundemuseum.at/publikationen/publikation?publikation_id=1524345943420.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2016). Is there a post-racism? On David Theo Goldberg’s conjunctural analysis of the post-racial. Ethnic and Racial Studies. Volume 39(13), 2235-2240. DOI:10.1080/01419870.2016.1202433.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2015). Housing, financialisation, and migration in the current global crisis. An ethnographically informed view from Berlin. South Atlantic Quarterly, 114(1), 29–45. DOI:10.1215/00382876-2831268.
  • Bojadžijev, M. und Karakayali, S. (2010). Recuperating the Sideshows of Capitalism: The Autonomy of Migration Today. eflux,17(6). https://www.e-flux.com/journal/17/67379/recuperating-the-sideshows-of-capitalism-the-autonomy-of-migration-today/.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2009). Festung Europa? Replik auf eine erfolgreiche Metapher. juridicum. Zeitschrift im Rechtsstaat. Heft 2. (April), 76-80. https://www.juridikum.at/files/ausgaben/juridikum%202-2009_0.pdf.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2002). Antirassistischer Widerstand von Migrantinnen und Migranten in der Bundesrepublik: Fragen der Geschichtsschreibung. 1999 - Zeitschrift für Sozialgeschichte des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts, 17(1), 125-152. https://www.digizeitschriften.de/download/pdf/884817873_0017/LOG_0015.pdf.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2001). How German are They? The Struggle Against Germany's ›Identity Politics‹. Rhodes Journalism Review, 20, 32. file:///C:/Users/flora/Downloads/bojadzijev-barth-2001-how-german-are-they-the-struggle-against-germany-s-identity-politics-racism-and-the-media.pdf. 


Book contributions

  • Bojadžijev, M., Altenried, A., & Wallis, M. (2026). Platform mobilities: Migration and digital labor. In E. Bulut, J. Chen, R. Grohmann, & K. Jarrett (Eds.), The Sage handbook of digital labor (p. 147–156). London, UK: Sage.
  • Bojadžijev, M., B. Neilson, and N. Rossiter (2026). Against decolonisation? Drifting tributaries of colonialism’s legacies. In Liu, Joyce C. H. & Neilson, B. (Eds.), Decolonisation in the 21st Century. Rethinking Coloniality, Resistance, and Solidarity (p.15-36). London, UK: Routledge.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2022). Differenzielle Migration – Arbeit, Logistifizierung und die Regierung von Migration. In Ivanova, M., Thaa, H., Nachtwey, O. (Hrsg.): Kapitalismus und Kapitalismuskritik (p. 255-280), Frankfurt/New York: Campus.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2022). Rassismusforschung in Deutschland: Prekäre Geschichte, strukturelle Probleme, neue Herausforderungen. Interview zur Eröffnung des Tagungsbandes. In Institut für Demokratie und Zivilgesellschaft (Hrsg.), Wissen schafft Demokratie. Tagungsband zur Online-Fachtagung »Gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt & Rassismus« (Jena), Band 11, 14-23. DOI: 10.19222/202211/02.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2021). Rassismus. In Schmidt-Lauber, B. und Liebig, M. (Hg.): Begriffe der Gegenwart. Ein kulturwissenschaftliches Glossar (S. 235-244). Wien: Böhlau.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2021). 'The Spirit of Europe.' Differential Migration, Labour and Logistificationcs. In Grappi, Giorgio (Eds.), Contested justice. Europe and migration in a global perspective (p. 162-183). London, UK: Routledge.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2020). Migration und Digitalisierung. Umrisse eines emergenten Forschungsfeldes. In Peterilini, H.P. und Donlic, J. (Hrsg.), Jahrbuch Migration und Gesellschaft 2019/20 (9-22). Schwerpunkt »Digitale Medien«. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag. https://doi.org/10.14361/9783839444801-002.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2020). Anti-racism as method. In Solomos, J. (Hrsg.), Routledge International Handbook of Contemporary Racisms (p. 193-204), London New York: Routledge.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2019). Najkraći put u svet – Der Kürzeste Weg in Die Welt. Migracija, građanska prava i EU u državama bivše Jugoslavije – Novi pogled nakon 15 godina. In Panić, A. and Ognjanović, S. (Hrsg.), The Nineties: A Glossary of Migrations (Katalog zur Ausstellung), Museum of Yugoslavia (p. 73-92). DOI:10.1515/9783839407813-004.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2019). Die Logistik der Migration. Ethnographische und epistemische Perspektiven. In Johler, R. und Lange, J. (Hrsg.), Konfliktfeld FluchtMigration. Historische und ethnographische Perspektiven (S. 31-48). Münster: Transkript.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2018). Konjunkturen der Rassismustheorie in Deutschland. In Foroutan, N., Geulen, C., Ullmer, S., Vogel, K. und Wernsing, S. (Hrsg.), Das Phantom »Rasse«. Zur Geschichte und Wirkungsmacht von Rassismus (S. 47-64). Köln: Böhlau-Verlag.
  • Bojadžijev, M. und Klingan, K. (2018). What Constitutes the Specifictiy of Racism Today? Re-editing  Race, Nation, Class – Yesterday and Today. In Klingan, K. (Hg.): Race, Nation, Class: Rereading a Dialogue for our Times (p. 9-17). Hamburg: Argument-Verlag.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2018). Gesucht: Ein neues Koordinatensystem. Transnationale Netzwerke und Perspektiven linker Migrationspolitik. In Piening, Günter (Hrsg.), Die Macht der Migration. Zehn Gespräche zu Mobilität und Kapitalismus (S. 97-104). Münster: Unrast.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2017). Migration. In Beyes, T., Metermann, J. und Pias, C. (Hrsg.): Nach der Revolution: Ein Brevier digitaler Kulturen (S. 13-24). Hamburg: Zeitverlag, Edition Speerwort.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2015). Zur Entwicklung kritischer Rassismustheorie in Deutschland seit den 1980er Jahren. In Dirk, M., Martin, S., und Wissel, J. (Hrsg.): Perspektiven und Konstellationen kritischer Theorie (S. 49-69). Münster: Westphälisches Dampfboot.
  • Bojadžijev, M. und Liebelt, C. (2014): Migration als soziale Bewegung: Von Bürgerschaft und Kosmopolitanismus im globalen Arbeitsmarkt. In Heike Drotbohm/Boris Nieswand (Hrsg.): Kultur, Gesellschaft, Migration. Die reflexive Wende in der Migrationsforschung (S. 325-346.). Wiesbaden: VS Springer Verlag.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2013). Connecting some Dots. Migration, Colonialism, and Questions of Citizenship in Postcolonial Europe. In Bischoff, E., and Engle, E. (Hrsg.): Colonialism and Beyond. Race and Migration from a Postcolonial Perspective (p. 85-103). Wien: LIT Verlag. 
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2010). Migration als Ausnahme? Grenzen, Arbeit, Bürgerrechte im globalen Kapitalismus. In Becker, K., Gertenbach, L., Laux, H. und Reitz, T. (Hrsg.): Grenzverschiebungen des Kapitalismus. Umkämpfte Räume und Orte des Widerstands (S. 300-317). Frankfurt a. M.: Campus.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2009). Migration. Still Speaking about Autonomy?. In Ostojić, T. und Grižinić, M. (Hg.): Integration Impossible? The Politics of Migration in the Artwork of Tanja Ostojić (p. 181-186). Ljubljana, Berlin: Argobooks.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2007). Does Contemporary Capitalism need Racism? In Thakar, B. (eds.): Global Capitalism: The Road Ahead (n.a.). Hyderabad: The ICFAI University Press.
  • Bojadžijev, M. und Karakayalı, S. (2006). Autonomie der Migration. 10 Thesen zu einer Methode. In Forschungsgruppe TRANSIT MIGRATION (Hrsg.): Turbulente Ränder. Neue Perspektiven auf Migration an den Grenzen Europas (S. 209-215). Bielefeld: Transcript. 
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2006). Autonomie der Migration. Eine historische Perspektive. In Jour fixe-Initiative (Hrsg.), Klassen und Kämpfe (S. 132-144). Münster: Unrast.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2005). Bürgerrechte und die Perspektive der Migration. In Kölnischer Kunstverein et al. (Hrsg.), Projekt Migration (S. 219-220), Köln: Dumont.
  • Bojadžijev, M. and Demirović, A. (1996). Studentische Politikerinnen und Politiker und ihr Verhältnis zur Politik. In Demirović, A. and Paul, G., Demokratisches Selbstverständnis und die Herausforderung von rechts: Student und Politik in den neunziger Jahren (S. 75-85). Frankfurt am Main/New York: Campus.

  

Encyclopedia entries 

  • Bojadžijev, M. (2013). Balkans, global migration, ethnic conflict, and class struggles. In Immanuel Ness (Hrsg.), Encyclopaedia of Global Human Migration (n.a.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley‐Blackwell. DOI :10.1002/9781444351071.wbeghm254.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2009): »Migration Struggles and the Global Justice Movement«, in: Immanuel Ness (Hg.): The International Encyclopaedia of Revolution and Protest: 1500 to the Present (p. 2305-2308). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Bojadžijev, M. (2007). Autonomie der Migration. In Ulrich Brandt et al. (Hrsg.): ABC der Alternativen (S. 26-27), Hamburg: VSA.
  • Überarbeitete neue Auflage: Bojadžijev, M. (2012). Autonomie der Migration. In Ulrich Brandt et al. (Hrsg.): ABC der Alternativen (S. 32-33). Hamburg: VSA.  

  
Articles in (academic) online publications 

    

Related Link

 
For a comprehensive list of publications see also: 
https://www.euroethno.hu-berlin.de/de/institut/personen/bojadzijev/publikationen-1

 

 

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