Elissa Helms

Elissa Helms is an Associate Professor and Doctoral Program Director in the Department of Gender Studies at Central European University (CEU), based in Vienna. She is a leading scholar in gender, nationalism, and post-conflict ethnography, with a regional focus on the Balkans, particularly Bosnia-Herzegovina and the former Yugoslavia. Her work critically engages with migration, racialization, borders, and feminist activism in contemporary Europe.

• Ph.D., Cultural Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, 2003
• MA, Cultural Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, 1998
• BA, International Relations, Bucknell University, 1991

Her research centers on gendered dynamics in post-socialist and post-conflict societies, especially how gender, race, and nationalism intersect in migration and border contexts. She has conducted long-term ethnographic fieldwork in Bosnia-Herzegovina, including in Bihać, focusing on the Balkan Route and local responses to migration. Her work also explores feminist memory, transitional justice, and the politics of victimhood, notably through her influential book Innocence and Victimhood (2013). She co-edited Borders of Desire (2023), examining gender and sexuality at Europe’s eastern edges.

Her recent publications reveal a sustained focus on the gendered dimensions of refugee crises, EU border policies, and the racialization of migrants. She critiques dominant narratives that associate victimhood solely with women and children, highlighting how men are also deeply vulnerable in war and displacement. Her scholarship bridges feminist theory, cultural anthropology, and critical migration studies.

While no specific scientific awards are mentioned in the provided texts, her work is widely recognized through publications in top journals and participation in major academic projects such as GRACE (Gender and Cultures of Equality). She actively mentors graduate students and welcomes inquiries from prospective MA and PhD candidates in her research areas.

Elissa Helms has advised on and contributed to numerous academic events, public lectures, and policy discussions on gender, migration, and human rights. Her current research includes ethnographic work on the Balkan Route and a project on the Women’s Court, a feminist initiative for transitional justice in the post-Yugoslav region. She is deeply engaged in public scholarship, contributing to platforms like Eurozine and FocaalBlog.