Raluca Bianca Roman

Raluca Bianca Roman is a Lecturer in Anthropology at Queen's University Belfast (QUB), affiliated with the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics. She holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of St Andrews (2017) and advanced degrees from institutions including University College London and the University of Helsinki. Her research focuses on religion, ethnicity, migration, and humanitarianism, particularly among Roma communities in Finland and Romania. Roman has contributed to interdisciplinary projects like the ERC-funded 'RomaInterbellum,' exploring Roma civic emancipation during the interwar period.

Education: PhD in Social Anthropology (St Andrews, 2017), MA in Economy, State and Society (UCL, 2012), MA in Economic and Social History (Helsinki, 2012), BA in Sociology (Babeș-Bolyai University, 2009).

Research Interests: Christianity and morality, Roma mobilization, religious humanitarianism, archives and ethnography, and the intersection of religion with technology (e.g., AI and social robots). She co-edited Roma Writings in History (Brill, 2021), challenging stereotypes about Roma literary production. Current projects include the ethics of AI and robotics in social relations.

Grants and Projects: Part of the Academy of Finland's 'Roma and Nordic Societies' project (2015–2018) and the ERC 'RomaInterbellum' (2018–2022). Editorial roles include Romani Studies and the Gypsy Lore Society Newsletter.

Teaching: Courses on religion, Roma anthropology, and conflict studies at QUB. Recent courses include 'In Gods We Trust: The New Anthropology of Religion' and 'Anthropology and Roma.'

Labs/Teams: Collaborations in interdisciplinary research on Roma history, gendered violence, and techno-ethnography.