With the appointment of Dr. Şahin-Mencütek, Osnabrück University is placing a strategic emphasis on its migration research profile. Prof. Dr. Daniel Mertens, Dean of the Faculty of Cultural and Social Sciences, emphasizes the importance of this new appointment to the faculty, “Dr. Zeynep Şahin-Mencütek’s expertise and research focus perfectly bridges the intersections that form the basis of the new professorship in Global Migration and Politics: a scientific interest in the societal negotiation of migration combined with political science conflict research.”
Dr. Şahin-Mencütek’s research focuses primarily on migration governance, return migration, diaspora policies, as well as migration and migration politics in the Middle East. Her work is characterized by a long-term, qualitative, and internationally comparative approach.
Of particular prestige is her recent award of an ERC Consolidator Grant, one of Europe's most renowned funding instruments for top-tier research. With a budget of nearly two million euros, she will lead the project "MULTI-RES — Rethinking Multilevel Responsibilities in Displacement(s)" at Osnabrück University. The project examines how "responsibility" in contexts of displacement is perceived, negotiated, and exercised by various actors.
The project analyzes three displacement contexts—Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine—and six host countries: Germany, Turkey, Poland, Pakistan, the United States, and Canada. "There is a lack of systematic empirical research on the concept of 'responsibility' in migration contexts, despite its fundamental importance for moral, social, and political life, particularly in addressing global challenges in current times and in the future. We aim to close this research gap," explains Dr. Şahin-Mencütek. The selection process for ERC Consolidator Grants is highly competitive; in 2025, only about 11 percent of the 3,121 submitted project proposals were funded, including only three projects related to migration.
Migration is not only Dr. Şahin-Mencütek's research focus but has also shaped her own academic career. After earning her PhD in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Southern California, USA, in 2011, she served as an assistant professor in Turkey. Her subsequent career included participation in the Horizon 2020 project "RESPOND: Multilevel Governance of Mass Migration in Europe and Beyond" and a fellowship at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg/Centre for Global Cooperation Research in Duisburg. In June 2020, she was awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers. Prior to joining Osnabrück University, she served as a Senior Researcher at the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC), where she was part of the leadership team for the Horizon Europe project GAPS, a 14-country comparative study on return and reintegration policies for migrants and refugees.
Her professorship at Osnabrück University will be closely integrated with existing migration research structures. Prof. Dr. Helen Schwenken, Director of the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS), and Prof. Dr. Andreas Pott, chair of the Collaborative Research Centre “Production of Migration” (SFB 1604), expect a substantial strengthening of the university's profile. “Zeynep Şahin-Mencütek consistently views migration through a globally interconnected lens, which is the only way to truly understand local dynamics and conflicts. Her perspective complements our existing research focus at IMIS and in the SFB perfectly, especially with regard to our future planning. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration,” says Prof. Schwenken.
Dr. Şahin-Mencütek is equally eager to get started, “Migrating to Germany with my family in 2019 marked an important milestone in my personal and professional life. Since then, several fellowships and research projects have shaped my academic trajectory, strengthened my research profile, and opened new opportunities for international collaboration. These experiences gradually paved the way for my work on ERC-funded research and my transition to a professorial position. Osnabrück University has an outstanding international reputation for migration research, and I am delighted to join its academic community and contribute to the work of IMIS and SFB 1604. Alongside my research, I am deeply committed to teaching and look forward to working with students and contributing to the further internationalization of the teaching environment. Dr. Şahin-Mencütek will teach within the Political Science department as well as in the Master’s program in International Migration and Intercultural Relations (IMIB).
Further information for the media:
Prof. Dr. Helen Schwenken, Osnabrück University
Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies
