Ellen Bal

Ellen Bal is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, specializing in Social and Cultural Anthropology. She holds additional roles at the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute and Mobilities, Beliefs and Belonging (MOBB). Her research focuses on migration, identity, gender, and ethnic dynamics in South Asia, particularly Bangladesh and India, as well as Suriname and the Netherlands. Bal directs The Ethnographic Impact Lab (eLAB) and has supervised four PhD theses.

Her work addresses themes like migration's impact on citizenship, urban spaces, and marginalized communities. Notable projects include Active8-Planet (climate education) and PEOPLE (sustainable innovation). She has received the Van der Duin Schouten Prize (2018 & 2019) for academic contributions. Bal teaches courses on organizational anthropology and thesis supervision. Her publications span ethnographic studies on migrant well-being, supply chain dynamics, and gendered mobilities. She contributes to media discussions on Bangladesh and South Asian issues.