Migration researcher appointed honorary doctor at the University of Gothenburg
Dutch professor Peter Scholten has been appointed honorary doctor at the University of Gothenburg. He studies migration and migration policy to understand how society and democracy function and change in an increasingly complex world.
‘Migration has become a symbol of declining trust in democracy, so the study of how to restore that trust should also begin with migration,’ he says.
What was your reaction to being appointed Honorary Doctor?
– It was such a surprise; receiving an honorary doctorate from a renowned university as the University of Gothenburg is one of the greatest honors one can receive. For me it celebrates the great collaboration I have had with the University of Gothenburg so far, and marks the beginning of a new phase in our partnership. We share not only a joint research interest but also join values in how to do research and in the role that universities can play in society today.
Your research focusses on migration and policy-making, how come you’ve taken an interest in that?
– I believe that migration reveals much about how contemporary societies struggle with globalization, with mediatization and politicization, and with declining trust in democracy. That is why I have started to study policymaking not from a political science perspective on how it should take place but from a more sociological perspective on how it actually does take place, and what the mechanisms are behind why we so often define migration in terms of ‘crisis.’ I believe that the systematic study of migration policymaking can contribute much to our understanding of policy, politics and democracy today.
What are some of the main challenges in today’s policy-making concerning migration?
– It seems like more and more liberal democracies tend to become obsessed with migration, which leads to crisis talk, to policy fiascoes and to declining trust in government and democracy (and in science). My scientific ambition is to understand how this crisis sensation is not only a product of failing to come to terms with the complexity of today’s societies, but that it's also produced by political and policy processes that show deficiencies in terms of rational, democratic, institutional and discursive quality.
You are developing a framework for quality in policymaking. Tell us about that!
– I believe we need to bring quality back into our analysis of complexity and policymaking. If we want policymaking to matter, to be able to respond to complexity, but also to be sufficiently robust in terms of democratic inclusion, institutional capacity and public framing, then quality matters. Quality can be a way to rebuild trust in institutions and democracy.
What is your relationship to the University of Gothenburg like?
– I have had a very warm relationship with the University of Gothenburg, in particular with the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Centre on Global Migration. We have worked together in the internationalization of our research field, amongst others in the context of the IMISCOE research network. There are many opportunities ahead for further developing joint research interests, and to engage with and contribute to the challenges our societies are facing. I see this honorary doctorate not simply as a reward for something in the past, I see it primarily as encouragement for an even stronger partnership in the future!
Peter Scholten is Professor of Migration and Diversity Studies at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. He is a leading figure in the internationalisation and growing interdisciplinary focus of migration studies. Peter Scholten is the author of several influential texts, and his research has had a strong influence on theoretical developments both within and outside the field. In addition to his research, he plays a leading role in one of the largest international research networks, IMISCOE.