Sandra Lavenex

Sandra Lavenex is a Full Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Geneva and Director of the Master in European Studies. She previously held positions at the University of Lucerne, University of Bern, and the College of Europe.

• University of Geneva: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Research Focus: International Governance, European Integration, Migration Policies, Democracy Beyond States

Her research explores how EU policies on migration and asylum interact with global governance frameworks, with a particular emphasis on trade agreements, third-country participation, and crisis-driven policy changes. She leads major projects funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the European Commission, including Horizon Europe initiatives on migration governance and skills development.

Recent publications highlight her work on preferential trade agreements as tools for migration control, business migration in Switzerland, and legitimacy challenges during the pandemic. She has supervised numerous doctoral students and contributed to edited volumes on regulatory states and regional migration governance.

Scientific Awards:

• Elected member of Sachverständigenrat Migration und Integration (2024), an advisory body to the German federal government.

Lavenex collaborates with postdoctoral researchers like Mariana Alvarado and Elisa Fornalé on projects such as Gs4s and FAiR. Her work bridges academic research with policy-making, particularly in EU-Switzerland relations and global migration regimes.