Jørgen Carling

Jørgen Carling is a Research Professor in Migration and Transnationalism Studies at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), where he serves as Project Lead for MIGNEX and leads Work Packages 2 and 6. He is also the Co-Director of the PRIO Migration Centre and leads the European Research Council-funded Future Migration as Present Fact (FUMI) project.

His educational background includes a PhD in Human Geography from the University of Oslo (2007), a Cand. polit. in Human Geography (2001), and a Cand. mag. in Human Geography, demography and economics (1998). He previously completed an International Baccalaureate at United World College of the Atlantic (1993).

Carling's research spans migration theory, transnationalism, migration aspirations, involuntary immobility, migrant smuggling, remittances, and the migration-development nexus. His work combines Human Geography with interdisciplinary perspectives using both ethnographic and statistical methods. He has made significant contributions to understanding how migration arises and affects societies, families, and individuals through innovative mixed-methods approaches.

His publication record reveals a strong focus on migration aspirations, policy effectiveness, and the complex relationship between development and migration. Recent work analyzes the impact of economic inequalities on migration aspirations, evaluates migration information campaigns, and challenges conventional wisdom about addressing the 'root causes' of migration.

• ERC Consolidator Grant for Future Migration as Present Fact (FUMI) project

Carling has secured major funding including an ERC Consolidator Grant for FUMI and leadership of the MIGNEX project funded by the European Commission. He has served as a Visiting Fellow at prestigious institutions including the University of Oxford, National University of Singapore, and University of Maastricht. His methodological expertise spans semi-structured interviews, participant observation, purpose-made surveys, and statistical analysis of existing data.

He serves on editorial boards for International Migration, International Migration Review, and Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, and has extensive language skills including Norwegian (mother tongue), English, Cape Verdean Kriol, and reading proficiency in several European languages.