Ruud Koopmans

Prof. Dr. Ruud Koopmans is a leading scholar in sociology and migration research at Humboldt University of Berlin and Director of the Department Migration, Integration, Transnationalization at the Social Science Center Berlin (WZB). He has held visiting professorships at the University of Amsterdam and has been a board member of institutions like DeZIM and BAMF.

• Education: PhD in Political and Social Sciences (1992) from the University of Amsterdam, with a dissertation on Democracy from Below.

His research focuses on political sociology of cosmopolitanism and communitarianism, analyzing immigration policy, ethnic inequality, religious fundamentalism, and social movements. He examines how globalization reshapes political cleavages and the role of religious texts in legitimizing violence.

The 15 most recent publications span refugee policy (e.g., The Asylum Lottery), religious fundamentalism (experimental studies across seven countries), ethnic discrimination (labor market correspondence studies), and pandemic migration dynamics (Covid-19 travel restrictions). Keywords include Migration Policy, Political Islam, and Social Cohesion.

No specific scientific awards are mentioned, but his work has been funded by Horizon 2020 and the Leibniz Association. He has advised projects on religious radicalization, multiculturalism, and migrant rights.

Koopmans leads teams in studies like GEMM (global migration and labor markets), Religious Fundamentalism (2015–present), and the Political Sociology of Cosmopolitanism (2011–2017), collaborating with institutions across Europe.