Martin Kahanec

Martin Kahanec is a Professor at Central European University (Vienna) since 2016 and currently serves as Director of the Shattuck Center for Human Rights. He has held leadership roles, including Acting Dean (2017-2019, 2020-2021) and Head of the Department of Public Policy (2021-2023). His affiliations include Harvard University (LWP Fellow), Global Labor Organization (Advisory Board), and Academia Europaea (member).

• Professor, Central European University (2016-present)
• Director, Shattuck Center for Human Rights (2021-present)
• Co-Founder, Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI) (2008-present)
• Visiting Research Fellow, IZA Bonn (2012-present)

Martin Kahanec’s research focuses on Labor and Population Economics, Migration and Labor Mobility, and Inequalities in the Labor Market. His work examines EU labor market reforms, immigrant integration, and ethnic minority dynamics. Recent publications analyze pandemic-era labor policies, self-employment as integration tools, and the role of institutions in immigrant-native wage gaps.

His recent articles address EU labor market resilience during crises, self-employment dynamics, and immigration’s impact on economic equality. Trends highlight policy evaluation, labor mobility, and welfare state interactions with migration.

Scientific awards and memberships include

• Elected member of Academia Europaea (2016)
• Mercator Senior Visiting Fellow (2019-2020)
• LWP Fellow, Harvard University (2014-present)
• Ranked No. 1 economist in Slovakia by RePEc (2011-present)

Kahanec has advised on national and EU-level projects with the World Bank, European Commission, and OECD. He contributed to edited volumes such as the Oxford Handbook of Economic Inequality and the International Handbook on the Economics of Migration. His editorial work includes founding Managing Editor of the IZA Journal of European Labor Studies and Associate Editor of the International Journal of Manpower.