Saskia Sassen

Saskia Sassen is the Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University and an Honorary Professor at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose. Her research examines globalization, cities, immigration, and economic inequality through sociological and interdisciplinary lenses, with emphasis on territorial systems and digital transformations.

Her work explores systemic expulsions in the global economy, urban fragility under capital influence, and the denationalization of institutional frameworks. Key research themes include:

• Complexity of economic displacement and labor market transformations
• Intersections of digitization, territory, and authority
• Emerging forms of spatial and social justice in urban contexts

Her publications consistently address globalization's dislocations, with recent articles analyzing austerity politics, transatlantic trade impacts, and environmental-societal interfaces. Works frequently critique predatory financial systems and advocate for ethical urban governance.

Awards & Honors:

• Principe de Asturias Prize (2013)
• Geneva Picciotto Prize (2020)
• Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres (France)
• Elected Foreign Member, Royal Academy of Sciences of the Netherlands
• 12 honorary doctorates worldwide

She directs major research initiatives including the transnational Urban Age project on extreme urbanisms and the Audi-funded study on mobilities. Current work includes the Ethics of the City project examining social justice in New York, London, and Beijing.