DrLena S. Opfermann

Lena S. Opfermann is an interdisciplinary social scientist with a focus on (forced) migration, politics and cultural studies.

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

Lena has 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, she was Programme Director of two MSc Programmes (Peacebuilding and Post-conflict Reconstruction; Defence, Development and Diplomacy) at Durham University.

She currently works 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 itinerant performance festival The Walk.

Her previous research included the following:

• 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

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