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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.

• Gender Studies
• Gender and Nationalism
• Gender and Ethnic Violence
• +15 more

Anna Berg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at Central European University (CEU), where she conducts research at the intersection of political sociology, cultural sociology, and media studies. Her work critically examines how digital communication practices shape political identities and mobilizations, with a focus on right-wing and populist movements in Germany. Her educational background includes a PhD in Sociology from the University of Chicago, an MA from École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris, and a BA in Political Sciences from Freie Universität Berlin. Anna's research interests include: Political and cultural sociology Media and communication in populist movements Digitalization and political identity Ethnographic studies of anti-refugee and anti-lockdown protests Youth political engagement and media practices Alternative media ecologies and disinformation Her recent publications explore themes such as informational activism, epistemic trust, political meaning-making, and the cultural dynamics of echo chambers and post-truth discourse. Using ethnographic and qualitative methods, her work moves beyond buzzwords to offer grounded sociological insights into contemporary political transformations. She is currently conducting fieldwork on media practices among high-school students, extending her inquiry into the next generation of political subjectivities. Anna has not been listed with any scientific awards or fellowships in the provided text. She advises emerging scholars through her ongoing research projects and supervises fieldwork, though specific students are not named. Her research is supported by ethnographic fieldwork and institutional affiliation with CEU, enabling long-term studies in Germany. Her work is conducted through independent research and collaboration within the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at CEU, contributing to broader academic discussions on democracy, representation, and digital culture.

• Political Sociology
• Cultural Sociology
• Media and Communication
• +7 more

Katalin Szende is a Professor in the Department of Historical Studies at Central European University (CEU), where she also serves as Director of the Cultural Heritage Studies Program and is affiliated with the Doctoral School of History and the CEU Democracy Institute. She is based in Vienna and holds a PhD from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Budapest, and completed her habilitation at Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary (KEE). Her research focuses on medieval towns in the Carpathian Basin and Central Europe, with particular interest in urban society, demography, literacy, everyday life, topography, and material culture. She is deeply involved in major scholarly projects such as the Hungarian Atlas of Historic Towns , where she serves as series editor, and is a board member of the International Commission for the History of Towns. She is also the founding president of the Medieval Central Europe Research Network (MECERN), promoting interdisciplinary collaboration across the region. Her recent publications reflect a strong trend in comparative urban history, administrative literacy, and the material culture of writing in medieval towns. Her work often bridges archaeology, legal history, and urban studies, emphasizing the interplay between physical space and institutional development. She has authored influential books such as Trust, Authority, and the Written Word in the Royal Towns of Medieval Hungary (2018) and co-edited volumes like Medieval Buda in Context (2016) and Medieval East Central Europe in a Comparative Perspective (2017). PhD, ELTE Budapest Habilitation, KEE Budapest She has received recognition through extensive publication and leadership in international academic networks. Her editorial and organizational roles highlight her impact on shaping research agendas in medieval urban studies. Katalin Szende has supervised and collaborated with numerous scholars, contributing to the training of the next generation of historians, though specific student names are not listed in the provided texts. Her research has been supported by collaborations with institutions such as Heidelberg University and the Academy of Sciences, and she frequently contributes to international conferences and edited volumes. She leads and participates in significant research teams, including the Hungarian Atlas of Historic Towns project and MECERN, fostering cross-border scholarly exchange and advancing the study of Central European urbanism.

• Medieval Studies
• Urban History
• Medieval Archaeology
• +7 more

Prem Kumar Rajaram is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at Central European University (CEU). He is based in Vienna and serves as Head of the Open Learning Initiative and project leader of the Erasmus+ Refugee Education Initiatives consortium, which implements educational programs for displaced populations across Austria, Hungary, Germany, the UK, and Greece. His educational qualifications include: Ph.D. in International Relations, London School of Economics (2002) M.A. in International Relations, Australian National University (1994) B.A. (Hons) in Politics, University of Hull, UK (1993) Rajaram’s research engages with critical questions of marginality, depoliticization, colonial histories of capitalism and race, and the governance of asylum-seekers and refugees. He is deeply committed to critical pedagogies and the democratization of higher education, particularly in making universities more accessible to marginalized groups. His work bridges sociology, anthropology, migration studies, and postcolonial theory, emphasizing engaged and activist scholarship. His recent publications reveal a sustained focus on migration, border regimes, refugee subjectivity, and the politics of knowledge production in academia. Themes such as coloniality, carceral geographies, and institutional exclusion recur across his work, especially in the context of European migration policies and higher education. He critiques prestige culture in academia and advocates for transformative, inclusive pedagogical models. Scientific Awards and Honors: No awards or fellowships are mentioned in the provided text. Rajaram actively supervises or mentors students, though no specific names are listed. He has been involved in significant research initiatives, including the Erasmus+ Refugee Education Initiatives, which functions as both a research and practice-oriented program. His work is closely tied to public engagement, as evidenced by numerous events, book launches, and workshops on migration, solidarity, and open education. While no formal lab or research team is named, his leadership in the Open Learning Initiative suggests a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment focused on educational justice and refugee inclusion.

• Sociology
• Social Anthropology
• Migration Studies
• +9 more

Krisztián Széll is a Habil. Associate Professor at Eötvös Loránd University’s College of Education, specializing in educational inequality and school resilience. His research explores student achievement, school climate, Roma student integration, adaptive testing, and school dropout risk. He leads the Research Group on Innovation and Equality in Education and serves on the university’s Research Ethics Committee. Key Research Areas: Educational equity, resilience development, language policy, psychometric testing, and pandemic-era learning patterns. Publications: Focus on Hungary, cross-national comparisons, and methodological advancements in educational assessment. Affiliations: Eötvös Loránd University, Research Ethics Committee, Research Group on Innovation and Equality in Education. His recent work analyzes contextual factors in student belonging, adaptive testing formulas, and pandemic impacts on learning. He contributes to debates on reliability metrics like Cronbach’s alpha and institutional factors shaping educational outcomes.

• Educational Inequality
• School Resilience
• Student Achievement
• +7 more

Dr. Csanád Bodó (Habil. Associate Professor) is affiliated with the Institute of Hungarian Linguistics and Finno-Ugric Studies at Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest). He serves as a lecturer in the Department of Hungarian Historical Linguistics, Sociolinguistics and Dialectology, and contributes to the MTA-ELTE Kollaboratív Írás Kutatócsoport (Hungarian Academy of Sciences-ELTE Collaborative Writing Research Group). Academic rank: Associate Professor Contact: bodo.csanad@btk.elte.hu His research focuses on participatory sociolinguistics , particularly in the context of Hungarian-speaking minority communities in Eastern Europe. Key themes include: Language revitalization strategies among the Moldavian Csángó community Critical family language policy in peripheral regions Translanguaging and multilingual education practices Enregistering politically correct language in urban academic settings Collaborative research methodologies Language ideologies in revitalization contexts Recent publications (2025–2022) analyze collaborative knowledge production, language revitalization through education, and transliteracies in minority educational contexts. His work critically engages with language endangerment rhetorics and participatory approaches to sociolinguistic research.

• Sociolinguistics
• Language Revitalization
• Dialectology
• +6 more

Robyn Dora Radway is an Associate Professor in the Department of Historical Studies at Central European University, with affiliations in the Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies and Undergraduate Studies. She specializes in the interconnected histories of the Habsburg and Ottoman Empires from 1450 to 1800, focusing on administrative institutions, scribal practices, book cultures, and material culture. Her research integrates art history with primary-source-based historical methods, drawing from both Continental and Anglo-American traditions. She has published extensively on costume books, arms and armor, dress and identity, Habsburg-Ottoman diplomacy, and the circulation of information. Her 2023 monograph, Portraits of Empires: Habsburg Albums from the German House in Ottoman Constantinople , explores identity and social networks through friendship albums, combining archival sources with digital humanities tools. She is currently a Key Researcher in the FWF-funded Cluster of Excellence, EurAsian Transformations, and is working on a new project reconstructing scribal practices in Ottoman Hungary. Her recent publications span topics such as multilingualism, cartography, viniculture, and the reinterpretation of books and buildings after conquest. These works reflect her interest in layered sovereignty, deterritorialization, and imperial belonging, often employing network analysis and digital methodologies. Indiana University Press, 2023 Gerda Henkel Stiftung, 2018–19 Institute for Advanced Study at CEU, 2017–18 Robyn Dora Radway supervises BA, MA, and PhD students, with current PhD candidates including Dmitry Zharov, Jonas Czaika, and Zsofia Csilla Nadai. She has advised numerous MA theses on topics ranging from Jesuit education to imperial memory and interspecies communication. She teaches courses on Habsburg history, Ottoman borderlands, book history, material culture, and digital humanities, including a collaborative course with the Department of Data and Network Science. She maintains strong ties with international and local museums and is actively involved in academic events, such as book launches and research seminars on imperial networks and soldier-scholars.

• Habsburg History
• Ottoman Empire
• Early Modern Europe
• +16 more

Anikó Báti Kovácsné is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Ethnography and Folklore within Eötvös Loránd University , specializing in the Department of Material Ethnography . Her research focuses on the intersection of material culture, folklore, and cultural anthropology. Contact Information: Email: bati.aniko@btk.elte.hu Address: 1088 Budapest, Múzeum körút 6–8 Room: 28 Her work explores the preservation and interpretation of tangible cultural heritage, emphasizing traditional crafts, artifact analysis, and folklore documentation. While the Institute of Ethnography and Folklore provides a broader academic context, her departmental focus on material ethnography positions her as a key contributor to understanding cultural identity through physical objects.

• Ethnography
• Material Culture Studies
• Folklore Research
• +3 more

Cristian-Nicolae Gaşpar is a Lecturer in the Department of Medieval Studies at the Central European University (Vienna). He holds a BA in Classics from the University of Timișoara (1997), and MA and PhD in Medieval Studies from CEU Budapest (1998 and 2006). His research focuses on early medieval hagiography, late antique intellectual history, language evolution in Banat, and annotated translations of ancient texts into Romanian and English. He has contributed extensively to studies on regional varieties of Romanian, particularly in the Psalterium Banaticum project. Key affiliations include Senior Fellow at the Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies (since 2007) and participation in projects like the 'Sanctity of the Leaders' and 'Communicating Sainthood' initiatives. He has held fellowships at the Collegium Budapest (2010), University of Bologna (2009), and New Europe College (2002/2003). His work bridges disciplines: translating ancient texts (e.g., Minor Prophets into Romanian), analyzing regional linguistic patterns, and exploring themes like male homoeroticism in monastic contexts. Awards include the CEU Third Best Dissertation (2007) and Academic Achievement Award (2005). Active in professional networks such as the Medieval Central Europe Research Network (MECERN) and Romanian Society of Byzantine Studies, he also serves on ethics and advisory boards, including the RESTORY project and Muzeul Banatului Montan.

• Medieval Studies
• Late Antique History
• Hagiography
• +5 more

Guntra Aistara is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy at Central European University (CEU), where she holds a PhD from the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment. Her research focuses on environmental anthropology, political ecology, and food sovereignty, with notable work on organic agriculture movements in Latvia and Costa Rica. She co-founded the Environmental and Social Justice Action Research Group and is a core member of the Environmental Arts and Humanities Initiative. Her book *Organic Sovereignties: Struggles over Farming in an Age of Free Trade* (2018) examines how farmers in these regions navigate free trade agreements. Recent projects include the 'Relational Baltic Sea Foodscapes and Seascapes' study, investigating coastal food production and socio-ecological changes in Latvia, supported by the Faculty Research Support Scheme and the Latvian Foundation. Collaborations include Riga Stradiņš University and the University of Latvia's Oral History Project. Aistara's research emphasizes agroecology, seed sovereignty, and multi-species ethnography, linking ecological practices to broader socio-political dynamics. Her work bridges academic inquiry with grassroots activism, advocating for environmental justice and sustainable development.

• Environmental Anthropology
• Political Ecology
• Food Sovereignty
• +5 more

Oksana Sarkisova is a Research Fellow at Blinken OSA Archivum and Visiting Professor in the Department of Historical Studies and Undergraduate Studies at Central European University. She co-founded the Verzio International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival (2004–2023) and leads the Visual Studies Platform. Her research focuses on visual culture, Soviet history, and memory studies. Education: Ph.D. Summa Cum Laude, History Department, Central European University (200X) M.A. in Nationalism Studies, Central European University Research Interests: She explores experimental cinema, found footage, Soviet cultural history, and the intersection of photography with memory. Her 2023 book In Visible Presence examines family photos as sites of contested memory, earning multiple awards. Grants & Awards: Honorable Mentions from Alexander Nove Prize (2025), Reginald Zelnik Book Prize (2024), Heldt Prize (2024), and AATSEEL Best Book shortlist (2024). Labs/Teams: Directs CEU’s Visual Studies Platform and advises the Eidolon Centre for Everyday Photography. Teaches courses on documentary cinema and visual theory.

• Cultural History
• Experimental Cinema
• Memory and Representation
• +3 more

Nadia Jones-Gailani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Gender Studies at Central European University (CEU). She is also a Member of the Center for Religious Studies and an Affiliate Member of the Department of Historical Studies and the Center for Religious Studies. Research Interests: Migration networks, transnational identity, feminist ethnography, Iraqi diaspora studies, Islamic feminism, postcolonial critique, food history, and trauma memory. Key Contributions: Her 2020 book, Transnational Identity and Memory Making in the Lives of Iraqi Women in Diaspora , examines displacement experiences across Jordan and North America. She has led projects on European borderlands and contributed to the European Islamophobia Report (2018-2020). Teaching: Courses on feminist methods, gender and migration, postcolonial feminisms, Islamic feminism, and political radicalism in Islam. Advising: Supervised multiple MA theses at CEU, including topics on migrant women's public space exclusion (Armenian and Latin American cases), anti-racist resistance, and hijab politics.

• Gender Studies
• Migration Networks
• Diaspora and Transnationalism
• +5 more

Gergely Szabó is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Hungarian Linguistics at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary. He earned his PhD in 2023 through a joint program between the Open University of Catalonia and Eötvös Loránd University, focusing on the sociolinguistics of diasporization among Hungarians in Catalonia. His research and teaching are centered on sociolinguistics, writing in society, and research ethics. His research interests include language ideologies, participatory research, multilingualism, dialectology, and linguistic ethnography. His work critically examines how language practices reflect and construct social identities, particularly in diasporic and minority contexts. He emphasizes collaborative and ethical research methodologies, often involving citizen science and community engagement. The recent publications highlight a strong focus on collaborative research, language ideologies in multilingual settings, and methodological innovation in dialect studies. His work frequently explores Hungarian communities in Catalonia, Budapest, and other diasporic locations, analyzing how language use reflects identity, power, and social change. Faculty Excellence in Publication Award, ELTE Faculty of Humanities, 2024 Roska Tamás Award for Scientific Lecture, National Council of Student Research Societies, 2023 Faculty Excellence in Publication Award, ELTE Faculty of Humanities, 2022 Pro Scientia Golden Medal, National Council of Student Research Societies, 2017 Szabó has supervised and contributed to several research projects, including those funded by OTKA and internal KRE grants, often in collaboration with scholars like Csanád Bodó and János Imre Heltai. He has no listed PhD students under his supervision yet but has served as an opponent in doctoral defenses. His international research mobility includes stays at the University of Jyväskylä and Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. He is an active member of the Hungarian Linguistics Society, AILA ReN Participatory Linguistics, and the Linguistics Ethnography Research Network in Hungary, contributing to academic discourse and project development in sociolinguistics.

• Sociolinguistics
• Writing and Society
• Research Methods and Ethics
• +7 more

Réka Kiss is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Church History at the Faculty of Religious Studies, Károli Gáspár Reformed University since 2018. Previously, she was a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Ethnography, Research Center for Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2000-2014) and served as Chairman of the National Remembrance Committee in 2014. She holds a PhD in Ethnology from Eötvös Loránd University (2009) and completed her habilitation in Religious Studies at Gáspár Károli University of the Reformed Church (2018) with a dissertation titled 'Chapters from the 20th century history of the Hungarian Reformed Church Institution'. Her research interests include: 19th-20th Century Hungarian Church History 20th Century Hungarian Social History History of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution History of the Hungarian War of Independence (1848-1849) She has been a guest lecturer at ELTE BTK (Historical Anthropology Program, Department of Cultural History, Doctoral School of European Ethnology), Corvinus University (CIEE Program), and the Faculty of Theology at Gáspár Károli University. Contact: foldvaryne.kiss.reka@kre.hu , reka.kiss@neb.hu

• 19th-20th Century Hungarian Church History
• 20th Century Hungarian Social History
• History of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
• +1 more

Agnes Eitler is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Material Ethnography, Institute of Ethnography and Folklore, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE). She is affiliated with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Research Center for Humanities (ELKH BTK NTI) since 2017. European Ethnology PhD (ELTE, 2017-2021) M.A. in Ethnography (ELTE Faculty of Arts, 2015-2017) B.A. in History (ELTE Faculty of Arts, 2011-2015) B.A. in Dancer and Rehearsal Director (Hungarian Academy of Dance, 2012-2015) Her research focuses on the social role of staged folk culture, rural life transformation post-regime change, ethnographic approaches to cultural heritage, and the intersection of folk culture with cultural economy. She has conducted fieldwork analyzing local communities and heritagization processes in rural Hungary. New National Excellence Program Higher Education Doctoral Student Research Scholarship (2021) XXXIII. OTDK Humanities Section Ethnography I - 1st Place (2017) Republic Scholarship (2016) XXXII. OTDK Humanities Section Ethnography II - 2nd Place (2015) Eitler has presented at major international conferences including the International Association for Hungarian Studies (Vienna, 2019), 9th International Conference of Young Folklorists (Vilnius, 2019), and SIEF Congresses (Helsinki, 2021). She is a member of the International Society for Ethnology and Folklore (since 2019), Hungarian Ethnochoreological Society (since 2018), and Hungarian Ethnographic Society (since 2018).

• Social role of staged folk culture
• Transformation of rural life after regime change
• Locality and local communities research
• +2 more