معرفی
Dr. Karim Zafer is a Researcher affiliated with the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Cologne, holding additional roles in the Global Responsibility Unit and the International Office. His work focuses on migration governance, unaccompanied minors, and decolonizing academic institutions in Africa and beyond. Zafer collaborates across disciplines, evidenced by co-authored works on Euro-Mediterranean migration policies and institutional development in Global South contexts.
Key research projects include Unaccompanied Minors and Youth Refugees Making a Family and a Future and the DiaMiGo I & II initiatives examining migration governance. His 2025 co-edited volume Decolonizing the Future Academy in Africa and Beyond addresses postcolonial challenges in academia, while earlier work analyzed family networks among refugees in Cologne. These studies employ ethnographic methods to explore protection mechanisms, kinship dynamics, and systemic barriers faced by displaced populations.
Zafer’s publications bridge theoretical debates on decolonial praxis with applied research on migration. His work highlights intersections between academic institutional reform and grassroots realities of displaced youth, emphasizing ethical collaboration and equitable knowledge production. Current projects continue to explore transnational migration frameworks and sustainable academic partnerships between Global North and South institutions.
