معرفی
Naika Foroutan is a prominent German political and social scientist specializing in migration, integration, and Muslim communities in Germany. She serves as Professor of Integration Research and Social Policy at Humboldt University of Berlin's Institute of Social Sciences and directs both the Berlin Institute for Empirical Integration and Migration Research (since 2018) and the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM) (since 2017). Her work bridges academic research and public policy, examining identity formation, social equality, and the development of post-migrant society in Germany.
Education:
- Studied political science, Romance studies, and Islamic studies at the University of Cologne
- Earned doctorate from Georg August University of Göttingen in 2004 under Bassam Tibi with dissertation on 'Inter-civilizational cultural dialogues between the West and the Islamic world'
Foroutan's research focuses on migration and integration, particularly examining identity formation processes among Muslims and people with Muslim migration backgrounds in Germany. Her work explores cultural, ethnic, religious and national narratives, culminating in the concept of 'post-migrant society.' She investigates discrimination experiences, social recognition dynamics, and comparative analyses between different marginalized groups, notably studying parallels between Muslim experiences and those of East Germans in post-reunification Germany. Her scholarship emphasizes empirical approaches to understanding social dynamics in increasingly diverse societies.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals a clear evolution from early work on inter-civilizational cultural dialogues to contemporary research on post-migrant society. Her recent work increasingly employs sophisticated empirical methodologies to examine East-West German differences in attitudes toward Muslims, spatial aspects of refugee experiences, and theoretical frameworks for understanding integration. The research consistently bridges academic rigor with policy relevance, addressing pressing social issues through interdisciplinary approaches that combine sociology, political science, and cultural studies.
Scientific Awards:
- Rave-Forschungspreis Auswärtige Kulturpolitik (2005)
- Friedrich-Christoph-Dahlmann-Preis (2006)
- '100 Frauen von morgen' by Deutschland – Land der Ideen (2011)
- Berliner Integrationspreis (2011)
- Wissenschaftspreis der Fritz Behrens-Stiftung (2012)
- IDIZEM Dialogpreis (2014)
- Höffmann-Wissenschaftspreis für Interkulturelle Kompetenz (2016)
- Wissensstadt Berlin 2021 exhibition (2021)
- Honorary doctorate from Lund University (2025)
Foroutan has secured significant research funding throughout her career, including leading the HEYMAT research project (2008-2015) on hybrid European-Muslim identity models, later extended by the Volkswagen Foundation. She directed the JUNITED research project with two million euros in funding from the Mercator Foundation (2012-2016), conducting representative surveys with 8,100 participants on population attitudes toward Muslims in Germany. Since 2012, she has co-directed the CODISP research project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. She organized the influential 'Young Islam Conference' series at Humboldt University, fostering academic and public dialogue on Muslim communities in Germany.
Foroutan founded and directs the Berlin Institute for Empirical Integration and Migration Research, established in 2018, which serves as a hub for interdisciplinary migration research. She also leads the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM), a national research network coordinating migration and integration research across Germany. Her JUNITED research group has produced significant empirical data on Muslim communities in Germany, while her leadership in these institutions has positioned her as a central figure in shaping the academic and policy landscape of migration research in Germany.
