Catherine Craven

Dr. Catherine Craven is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, where she researches diaspora mobilizations and migration governance through critical relational approaches. She joined in October 2023 to lead the project "Diasporic Connections and the Making of Global Britain", examining imperial legacies in contemporary British state-building through Tamil, Hongkonger, and Chagossian diasporas.

Education:

• PhD in Politics and International Studies, SOAS University of London (2022)
• MSc in Global Politics, London School of Economics
• BA in Anthropology, University of Sussex

Research Focus: Her work investigates power asymmetries between dominant and marginalized actors in global politics, employing multi-sited ethnography to analyze diaspora-state entanglements across temporal and spatial scales. Current research examines how Britain's imperial past shapes contemporary diaspora engagement within the "Global Britain" framework.

Publication Trends: Her scholarly output (2018-2024) demonstrates consistent focus on diaspora politics, migration governance, and postcolonial legacies, with recent emphasis on Brexit's impact on transnational communities. Methodologically, she combines critical theory with qualitative approaches to reveal hidden connections in global governance structures.

Awards & Recognition:

• Nominated for Best Thesis Award by British International Studies Association

Grants & Projects:

• Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (2023-2026): £96,000 for "Diasporic Connections and the Making of Global Britain"
• ESRC Studentship (2015-2018): £15,000
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow on MIGZEN project (Brexit impact studies)
• Research Assistant on MAGYC-EU Horizon 2020 (Kurdish diaspora governance)

Collaborations: Has held research fellowships at Free University of Berlin, George Washington University, and York University (Canada), and contributes to public discourse through The Conversation and podcast collaborations on migration politics.