Mihai Surdu

Dr. Mihai Surdu is a visiting researcher at University College Freiburg, University of Freiburg, collaborating with Veronika Lipphardt on the project "The Genetic Construction of Roma Groupness and its Interdisciplinary Entanglements". His work examines Roma identification in scientific/administrative practices and knowledge circulation across expert communities including census, genetics, and policy domains.

He holds a Sociology degree from University of Bucharest (1995) and completed his Ph.D. thesis "Roma Educational Chances" exposing systemic educational segregation of Roma in Romania. This foundational work contributed to legislation banning school segregation.

Surdu's research critically analyzes the politics of Roma classification, spanning History of Science, Romani Studies, and Science and Technology Studies. His interdisciplinary approach investigates how genetic research intersects with identity construction and policy frameworks, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe.

His 2021 Nature publication highlights ethical vulnerabilities in Roma-related genetic research, reflecting his focus on power dynamics in scientific knowledge production. Current work examines genetic claims about Roma groupness through historical and policy lenses.

Key scientific recognition includes:

• Senior Fellowship at Central European University's Institute of Advanced Study (2015-2016)
• Max Planck Institute for History of Science Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014-2015)
• Open Society Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2012-2014)
• Open Society Foundations Roma Initiative Office Fellowship supporting his book

From 2003-2012, Surdu led influential research projects across Central/Eastern Europe that elevated Roma educational segregation to European policy agendas. He advised UNICEF, European Roma Rights Center, and Roma Education Fund, translating research into anti-segregation legislation. His book "Those Who Count. Expert Practices of Roma Classification" (CEU Press 2016) deconstructs scientific classification systems applied to Roma communities.

He currently operates within University College Freiburg's research ecosystem, investigating interdisciplinary entanglements between genetic research and Roma identity politics through collaborative team-based scholarship.