Senior Lecturer in Applied Social Studies

I am an interdisciplinary social scientist with a focus on (forced) migration, politics and cultural studies.

My research is situated at the intersection of (forced) migration, art/activism, ethics, and critical humanitarianism. I explore how arts and activism are used to elicit insights into (forced) migrants’ experiences, memories and to promote their rights.

I have worked in refugee protection, migrant rights advocacy, and humanitarian assistance with NGOs and the UNHCR in Southern Africa, South America and Europe. Prior to joining the University of Bedfordshire, I was Programme Director of two MSc Programmes (Peacebuilding and Post-conflict Reconstruction; Defence, Development and Diplomacy) at Durham University.

I currently work on two research projects. The first one is centred around the right to a legal identity and is part of the global fight against statelessness. It uses legal empowerment and digital storytelling to advocate for migrants’ rights in South Africa. The second project interrogates the ethics of refugee art/activism through the puppet performance festival Little Amal

My previous research included the following, please see further details under publications below:

• Theatre-based research with undocumented young migrants in Cape Town (South Africa)
• Museums, memory activism and forced migration in Berlin (Germany)
• Walking tours and urban regeneration in Johannesburg (South Africa)
• Loss and grief in the context of (forced) migration

I lead the MA International Social Welfare and Social Development. I am happy to speak to interested candidates about joining the course or pursuing doctoral studies in my areas of expertise.

I was awarded the ‘Staff Member of the Year 2023’ Award by the Student Union, University of Bedfordshire.

Other References

• Orcid ID
• ResearchGate

Qualifications

• Aurora - Women in Academic Leadership, Advance HE
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• PG Dip in Academic Practice, University of Bedfordshire, UK
• PhD Politics, Centre for Applied Human Rights, University of York, UK
• MA International Humanitarian Action, Uppsala University, Sweden
• BA Cultural Studies, European University Viadrina, Germany
• As part of my studies, I also spent time at the following universities: Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Bogotá, Colombia), Universidad de Deusto (Bilbao, Spain), University of the Western Cape (Cape Town, South Africa), University of Cape Town (South Africa)

Teaching Role

• ASS069-6 - Humanitarian Aid, NGOs and Social Welfare in Disasters
• ASS066-6 - International Social Welfare and Social Development
• ASS154-6 - PG Dissertation in Applied Social Sciences
• ASS096-2 - Refugees, Displacement and the Politics of Migration
• ASS140-3 - Art, Activism and Social Change
• I previously taught Peacebuilding; Post-conflict Reconstruction; Conflict Analysis; Defence, Development and Diplomacy at Durham University

Research Interests

• (Forced) migration, arts and activism
• Statelessness, right to identity and access to justice
• Experiences and memories of (forced) migration
• Arts-based research practices, including theatre, walking and storytelling
• Qualitative research ethics
• Critical humanitarianism

Recent Research Projects

• Forced migration, museum and memory activism in contemporary Germany (funded by Research England)
• Research ethics in migration studies (ESRC funded)
• Loss and grief in the context of (forced) migration
• Walking tours, insecurity and urban regeneration in Johannesburg (funded by Durham Global Security Institute)
• Theatre-Based Migration Research with Undocumented Youth in South Africa (see interview about this research at scalabrini.org.za - New research on undocumented migrant youth in South Africa )

Internal Roles

• I am chair of the School of Applied Social Sciences Research Ethics Panel
• I am convenor of the University of Bedfordshire Forced Migration Research Cluster
• Doctoral Research: PhD and Prof Doc supervision, examination and viva chairing

Publications

Please email me if you would like access to any of the publications.

• Opfermann, L. S. (2024). Sharing Stories, Food and Passports: Forced Migration, Museum and Memory Activism in Contemporary Germany. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2024.2398993. Article available here.
• Opfermann, L. S. (2022). Ethics as a Moral Duty: Proposing an Integrated Ethics Framework for Migration Research. Journal of Human Rights Practice. Article available here:
• Opfermann, L. S. (2021) (with Bakonyi, J., Kappler, S., Nag, E. M.) Precarity, Mobility and the City: Introduction to the Special Issue. Global Policy. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1758-5899.12946. Article available here.
• Opfermann, Lena S. (2020): Walking in Jozi: Guided Tours, Insecurity and Urban Regeneration in Inner City Johannesburg. Global Policy, Special Issue on Precarity, Mobility and the City. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12809. Article available here.
• Opfermann, Lena S. (2019): ‘If you can't beat them, be them!’ – everyday experiences and ‘performative agency’ among undocumented migrant youth in South Africa, Children's Geographies, https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2019.1646890
• Opfermann, Lena S. (2019): Language, trust and transformation: exploring theatre as a research method with migrant youth, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2019.1645386
• Opfermann, Lena S. (2015): “Testing the ‘triple imperative’: A drama-based exploration of migrant children’s views”, Transnational Social Review, 5 (3), 224-240, DOI: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21931674.2015.1082777
• Opfermann, Lena (2016): “Just show them that we have feelings.” – Reflections on the representation of migrant children’s stories, DTC Matters No 15. July, https://www.york.ac.uk/cahr/news/2016/thewhiterosedtcmatters/

Contact Details

E: lena.opfermann@beds.ac.uk