Hassan Ould Moctar

Dr. Hassan Ould Moctar is a Lecturer in the Anthropology of Migration at SOAS University of London's Department of Anthropology and Sociology. He holds a PhD in Development Studies from SOAS and has taught at both SOAS and the London School of Economics. His research focuses on migration, borders, and colonial legacies in West Africa and the Sahara, emphasizing how these intersect with race, development, and conflict. He has authored After Border Externalization: Migration, Race, and Labour in Mauritania (2024), analyzing EU border policies' impact in Mauritania. His work appears in journals like Environment and Planning D and Geoforum, and he advises institutions like the UNHCR.

• Education: BA (NUI Maynooth), MSc (University of Amsterdam), PhD (SOAS)
• Research Interests: EU border externalization, migrant agency, colonial history, urban anthropology

Dr. Ould Moctar's research bridges anthropology and development studies, often using ethnography to explore migrant experiences in Saharan contexts. His recent work critiques EU migration policies and their entanglement with historical colonial structures. He has received fellowships from the Economic and Social Research Council and National University of Ireland. Beyond academia, he engages in public policy advocacy, writing for Al-Jazeera and participating in migration solidarity initiatives. He was awarded a teaching prize at LSE in 2023 for his contributions to modules on migration, development, and conflict studies.

• Awards: ESRC Fellowship, NUI Fellowship, LSE Teaching Award (2023)
• Consultancies: European Council on Refugees and Exiles, UNHCR

His research and publications address transnational migration dynamics, focusing on how marginalized communities navigate exclusionary border regimes. He sits on the Advisory Board of Arizona State University’s Centre for Maghrib Studies and actively disseminates findings through academic and public platforms.