Nicolas Legewie

Nicolas Legewie is Professor for Methods and Social Structure Analysis at the University of Münster's Institute of Sociology, having assumed this position permanently on June 1, 2025, after serving as Acting Professor since October 2023. Previously, he held academic positions including Scientific Partner (Postdoc) at the University of Erfurt, Visiting Researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, and Postdoctoral Fellow at the German Institute for Economic Research.

• Master's degree in Social Sciences from Humboldt University of Berlin (2007-2010)
• PhD from Berlin Graduate School of Social Sciences, Humboldt-University zu Berlin (2011-2015)

Professor Legewie's research centers on social inequality, education, migration & integration, social networks, artificial intelligence, and research methods, with a particular specialization in video data analysis. His methodological innovations bridge traditional sociological approaches with cutting-edge digital techniques, creating new pathways for analyzing social interaction through computer vision and AI applications.

His publication trajectory reveals a consistent methodological focus that has evolved toward increasingly sophisticated applications of video data analysis in social research. Recent work demonstrates growing integration of artificial intelligence techniques, particularly in analyzing social interactions and studying refugee integration processes. His research often employs mixed-methods designs, combining quantitative data with qualitative insights to address complex social phenomena.

Professor Legewie has secured funding for multiple significant research projects including the Leibniz Competition-funded 'Mentoring of Refugees (MORE)' study, 'Das Erwachsenwerden türkischer Migrantennachkommen,' and more recently, externally-funded projects on discrimination in everyday interactions using computer vision, rampage school shootings, and attitudes toward AI in public institutions.

• Discrimination in everyday interactions – A field-experimental study using computer vision (2023-2024)
• A mixed-methods study of rampage school shootings (2023-2024)
• Attitudes toward the use of Artificial Intelligence in public institutions (2023-2024)

At the University of Münster, Professor Legewie teaches courses including Statistics I & II, Methods of Empirical Social Research, and specialized seminars on Big Data, social mobility, and the sociological perspective on artificial intelligence. His work contributes significantly to the development of digital sociology and the methodological toolkit available for contemporary social research.