Monika Palmberger

Monika Palmberger is a Visiting Professor at the Central European University (CEU), a Senior Scientist at the University of Vienna, and an Associate Research Fellow at the University of Leuven. Her work bridges anthropology, migration studies, and digital ethnography, with a focus on transnational care, memory politics, and generational dynamics.

Education:

• PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford (2011)
• MA in Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Vienna (2004)

Research Interests encompass forced migration and digital citizenship, transnational ageing, memory practices in divided cities, and participatory digital methods. Her fieldwork spans Southeast and Central Europe, Southeast Asia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, analyzing how migrants use technology for care and placemaking.

Recent articles highlight intersections of digital infrastructure with migration, care, and memory. Themes include transnational placemaking, refugee citizenship, and narrative analysis in ethnography.

Scientific Awards include multiple Austrian Science Fund (FWF) Principal Investigator grants (2024), Marie Jahoda Fellowship (2022), Elise Richter Fellowship (2018), and Hertha Firnberg Fellowship (2014). She has received research grants from the City of Vienna (2024, 2023) and institutions like the IFK (2022).

She co-founded the Digital Ethnography Initiative and leads comparative projects on ageing in crisis contexts (FWF-funded 2025-2027). Her work integrates digital methodologies with ethnographic practice and policy analysis.