In your work, you bring together teaching, research and social impact. How do you do that?
"In my teaching, I try to show students that migration law isn’t just about rules on paper, but about choices that have a direct impact on people’s lives. Think of decent working conditions, protection against persecution, and family reunification.
"I don’t teach in a traditional way; instead, students tackle social issues themselves. In my undergraduate course Global Migration Governance, students learn how international agreements on migration are reached. They conduct simulations of United Nations (UN) processes. They also write reports on the implementation of the UN Migration Pact. In doing so, they provide input for international policy. This year, they even presented their report at the United Nations in New York.
"I incorporate the insights that they and I have gained from this into my teaching and research. Students see that their work in the lecture theatre is not just an assignment for a mark, but also has significance beyond the university: they can even influence the United Nations.
"My research, too, often begins with questions arising from real-world practice. For instance, my research into the UN Migration Pact and the UN Convention on Migrant Workers grew out of insights I gained whilst working at the UN. I then used the results as input for UN meetings and in my teaching. I have also investigated the responsibility of North African countries for the deaths of migrants in the Mediterranean. That research stemmed from discussions with civil society organisations in the region. An article on this subject was later used by an organisation in Morocco to support a complaint lodged with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. For me, this demonstrates how research, teaching and social impact reinforce one another."
Why does the United Nations play such an important role in your teaching and research?
"Migration cannot be approached solely from a national or European perspective, but must be viewed globally. In the Netherlands and Europe, our focus in migration law is primarily on European law. This is certainly important, but it is not the whole story. UN law takes a broader view of, for example, the rights of undocumented migrants and their family members. UN law places people and universal rights at the centre, whereas European migration law often views people primarily as ‘foreigners’ in legal terms. I want to give students that broader perspective. That’s why I let them experience how the United Nations works, how legislation is formed, and what their own role might be."
How do you want to make an impact?
"I make an impact by teaching students to look at migration law differently. When I started as a lecturer in migration law, I noticed that the teaching was sometimes Eurocentric. The focus was mainly on European migration law and access to Europe, whereas that only shows part of the reality. After all, most migrants remain in their own region.
"That is why I want to introduce students to other perspectives on migration. Not just looking at it as a Dutch person or a European, but as a global citizen. I want to teach students to look beyond national interests and to think about global solidarity. It is precisely that broader perspective that helps us to better understand complex global issues and find new solutions."
"As far as I’m concerned, the university is the ideal place to practise global citizenship. Students are future professionals and have the potential to become “agents of change”. If, during their studies, they learn to view migration critically, with an eye for global relationships, they will carry that perspective with them into their future careers."
What is important if you want to make an impact?
"I love getting people excited. Creating space for something new. A colleague once called me a walking hub: someone who connects people, ideas and organisations, so that something new emerges. Research questions, teaching methods, and ultimately social impact too.
"That’s how I set up the Global Migration Law Hub: a platform where researchers, students, international organisations and civil society partners come together to address global migration issues. The participants come from different regions, including Europe, Africa and the Americas."
What makes you a free thinker?
"For me, free thinking means daring to question dominant approaches within your field. Thinking from a global perspective and from the standpoint of global citizenship also helps you to think more freely: you look less from the perspective of a single system, and more from different perspectives.
To me, free thinking also means: not allowing yourself to be constrained by traditional divisions between education, research and impact. In fact, these reinforce one another. They are not separate worlds, but are interconnected."
Would you like to find out more about Recognition and Rewards in social impact? Then take a look at this page and/or listen to the VU podcast ‘Onbegane Paden’ (in Dutch).
VU Amsterdam seeks and nurtures societal dialogue, is a leader in research, and educates global citizens who contribute to a better world in both word and deed. This is our vision for 2035. Have a look at the strategic plan 2026–2030 here.
