Anja van Heelsum

Anja van Heelsum is an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science within the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Amsterdam, where she has been employed since 2010. She previously worked at the Institute of Migration and Ethnic Studies (IMES) from 1997-2010 and completed her PhD on ethnic identity at the Free University. Van Heelsum serves as a board member for the Amsterdam Research Centre on Migration (ARC-M), IMISCOE, and the PanAfrican Journal of Governance and Development, having previously served on the board of Ethnic and Racial Studies until 2023.

Her research interests span migration governance, ethnic identity formation, and the political participation of migrants. She employs a multidisciplinary approach drawing from psychology, political science, sociology, and anthropology. Her work particularly examines the interplay between migrants' motives and migration policies, with regional expertise in the Mediterranean area (Spain, Greece, Turkey, Morocco) and the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia). She has conducted extensive fieldwork in these regions, including during her sabbatical at NIMAR in Rabat, Morocco (2012) and the University of Mek'ele and Addis Abeba in Ethiopia.

Her recent publications reflect a strong focus on migration governance alternatives, refugee reception policies, and the experiences of Muslim communities in Europe. The articles demonstrate a consistent methodology combining comparative analysis with fieldwork, particularly examining how migrants navigate complex policy environments. Her work frequently addresses issues of identity, belonging, and organizational responses to social challenges across multiple European contexts.

As a dedicated educator, van Heelsum supervises PhD students and teaches in interdisciplinary migration programs, the Political Science BA and MA in International Relations and Conflict Studies. She coordinates the Minor Global Migration program and teaches courses on Migrants' Motives and Migration Policy, as well as Conflict Resolution and Governance.

Her research has been supported by numerous grants, including Horizon 2020 funding for the AdMiGov project (2019-2023), where she served as Project Coordinator, and EU FP-7 funding for the EURISLAM project (2009-2012). She has also led significant comparative studies like Cities Local Integration Policies (CLIP) (2006-2010), which involved fieldwork in over 30 European cities.

Van Heelsum maintains active research collaborations through networks such as IMISCOE and has contributed to multiple comparative research initiatives examining migration governance across European contexts, with particular attention to local policy implementation and migrant agency.