Dr. Janina Stürner-Siovitz

Janina Stürner-Siovitz is a postdoctoral research fellow and project leader at the Institute of Political Science and the Centre for Human Rights Erlangen-Nürnberg of the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg. She analyses migration governance in complex multi-level systems. Taking a bottom-up perspective, she focuses on the interaction between cities, states and regional/international actors in the realization of the Global Compacts for Migration and Refugees as well as in EU migration policy-making. Furthermore, Janina Stürner-Siovitz explores multi-level partnerships in mixed-migration contexts on the African continent in cooperation with African and European partners.

As a policy-oriented researcher she has developed evaluation processes, workshops and policy papers on behalf of organizations such as the European Commission, the German Federal Foreign Office, the Mediterranean City-to-City Migration Project (MC2CM) and various foundations. Janina Stürner-Siovitz is a peer reviewer for the Knowledge Platform of the UN Network on Migration and a member of the UNHCR Global Academic Interdisciplinary Network (GAIN), the African Climate Mobility Research Network (CMARN) and the Cities and Human Mobility Research Collaborative of the Zolberg Institute. As a Visiting Fellow of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a Research Associate of the City Diplomacy Lab and a Non-Resident Fellow of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs she develops impact-oriented research on cities, migration governance and city diplomacy.

Prior to joining the FAU, Janina Stürner-Siovitz worked as a policy officer and project manager for the City of Stuttgart, where she conducted an interactive evaluation process to improve the city’s integration strategies and initiated a new refugee empowerment concept in cooperation with migrant and refugee organizations. Combining her local experience with her transnational research allows her to analyze migration challenges and opportunities through a glocal lens. Her current work is furthermore supported by her earlier experience in international policy development and consultation gained during internships at the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Bertelsmann Stiftung, and the German Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.

Janina Stürner-Siovitz has completed her PhD in Political Sciences at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg with summa cum laude. She holds a Franco-German master’s degree in International Relations with a special focus on migration policies and movements and a Franco-German bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences from Sciences Po Aix and the University of Freiburg.

 

• Migration governance in multi-level systems
• Multi-stakeholder partnerships for migration governance connecting local, national and international levels
• Global Compacts for Migration and Refugees
• City diplomacy in regional and global migration governance (Europe, Africa, UN-System)
• AU-EU relations focusing on migration and development
• Climate mobility
• Empowerment and human rights in protracted displacement situations
• Geographic focus areas: Global level, Europe, East Africa, North Africa, West Africa
• Field work experience in: Belgium, Germany, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, Uganda, United States

Books

• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina (2022): Curtain up! City diplomacy in global migration governance. Springer VS Wiesbaden.

Journal Articles

• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina; Morthorst, Lasse Juhl (2024): African city diplomacy in global climate mobility debates. In: Global Networks. Online first.
• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina (2022): „All the World’s a Stage?“ A Role Theory Analysis of City Diplomacy in Global Migration Governance. In: International Migration Review. Online first.
• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina; Heimann, Christiane (2022): The EU Urban Partnership on Inclusion: Institutionalizing Local-Supranational Integration Governance. In: International Migration Review. Online first.
• Günther, Johanna; Schweiger, Raphaela; Stürner-Siovitz, Janina (2022): The time is now: Moving towards a coherent approach to protect Afghans. In: Migration Policy Practice 11 (4), p. 48-53.
• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina (2022): African Cities and International Migration Governance: From Glocal Identities to Multilevel Solutions? In: Columbia Journal of International Affairs 74 (1), online first.
• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina (2022): African City Diplomacy – Municipal Purpose and Action in Transnational Migration Governance. In: Trialog a Journal for Planning and Building in a Global Context 140/141, p. 25-29.
• Stürner, Janina (2019): Rethinking resettlement as a participatory strategy to empower refugees and hosting municipalities. In: Erlanger Migrations- und Integrationsstudien 6, p. 5-48.
• Stürner, Janina; Bendel, Petra (2019): A refugee tent does not come with canaries included. In: Erlanger Migrations- und Integrationsstudien 6, p. 49-87.
• Stürner, Janina (2019): Tailored to whom? – Envisaging refugees and host municipalities as central actors for sustainable resettlement. In: Migration Policy Practice 10 (3), p. 9-13.
• Stürner, Janina; Bendel, Petra (2019): The two-way ‘glocalisation’ of human rights or: How cities become international agents in migration governance. In: Peace Human Rights Governance (PHRG) 3(2), p. 215-239.
• Stürner, Janina (2019): Wahrheit auf der Flucht? Potenzial und Engagement der syrischen Diaspora in Deutschland für Wahrheitsfindung, Dialog und Friedensförderung. In: Zeitschrift für Menschenrechte 13 (1), p. 133-156.
• Heimann, Christiane; Müller, Sandra; Schammann, Hannes; Stürner, Janina (2019): Challenging the Nation-State from within: The Emergence of Transmunicipal Solidarity in the Course of the EU Refugee Controversy. In: Social Inclusion, 7 (2), p. 208-218.

Policy Papers and Discussion Papers

• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina; Morthorst, Lasse (2024): Equal Partnerships policy paper. Creating sustainable multi-stakeholder partnerships for urban migration governance in African intermediary cities. Equal Partnerships.
• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina; Morthorst, Lasse (2024): Equal Partnerships African intermediary cities as actors and partners in urban migration governance. Partnerships in Oujda, Morocco. Equal Partnerships.
• Morthorst, Lasse; Stürner-Siovitz, Janina (2023): Equal Partnerships African intermediary cities as actors and partners in urban migration governance. Partnerships in Gulu, Uganda. Equal Partnerships.
• Stürner, Janina; Heimann, Christiane (2023): Cities as Migration Governance Partners. GMF Policy Paper.
• Stürner, Janina; Nzamba, Nzamba Lionel (2022): What Role for African Cities in Urban Migration Governance? In: African Social Reserch 1, p. 24-31.
• Stürner, Janina; Nzamba, Nzamba Lionel (2021): Local Authorities as Allies in Promoting Protection Frameworks for Mobile Urban Populations. In: A Roadmap for Advocacy, Policy Development, and Programming: Protection in Mixed Movements along the Central and Western Mediterranean Routes 2021, p. 102-106.
• Heimann, Christiane; Stürner, Janina; Bendel, Petra; Schammann, Hannes (2021):‘When Mayors make Migration Policy’: The Future of City Diplomacy. EPC Policy Brief. Brussels: European Policy Centre.
• Stürner, Janina; Bekyol, Yasemin (2021): Going the (Social) Distance. How Migrant and Refugee-sensitive Urban COVID-19 Responses Contribute to the Realization of the Global Compacts for Migration and Refugees. Barcelona: ICMPD and UCLG.
• Stürner, Janina (2020): A New Role for Cities in Global and Regional Migration Governance? Berlin: Robert Bosch Stiftung.
• Stürner, Janina; Heimann, Christiane; Bendel, Petra; Schammann, Hannes (2020):‘When Mayors make Migration Policy’: What Role for Cities in EU Migration and Integration Policymaking? EPC Policy Brief. Brussels: European Policy Centre.
• Stürner, Janina and Heimann, Christiane (2020): Evaluation Report of the Urban Partnership on Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees.
• Bendel, Petra; Schammann, Hannes; Heimann, Christiane; Stürner, Janina (2019): “A Local Turn for European Refugee Politics. Recommendations for Strengthening Municipalities and Local Communities in refugee and asylum policy of the EU”. Berlin: Heinrich Böll Stiftung.
• Stürner, Janina (2017): Bildungsangebote für Geflüchtete: Kommunale Koordinierung und Vernetzung am Beispiel Stuttgart, In: Neises, Frank; Granato, Mona: Geflüchtete und berufliche Bildung. Wissenschaftliche Diskussionspapiere, Issue 187, Bonn: Federal Institute for Vocationale Education and Training.
• Stürner, Janina (2017): (Vor)ankommen junger Geflüchteter in Stuttgart, Stuttgart: City of Stuttgart.
• Muedin, Amy; Stürner, Janina (2014): “Migrants in Crisis Situations. Workshop Background Paper”, IOM New York Migration Series, New York: International Organization for Migration.

Blog Posts

• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina; Akintola, Lukmon (2023): Can City Diplomacy Help African Cities Take Action on Climate Mobility? Global Insight. The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina; Morthorst, Lasse Juhl (2023): Migration in African intermediary cities: why multi-stakeholder partnerships are key to inclusive action. Migration Matters Blog. OECD.
• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina; Morthorst, Lasse Juhl; Bonfiglio, Ayla (2022): African intermediary cities are key actors for partnerships on urban migration governance. Mixed Migration Centre.
• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina (2022): How do African local authorities make use of transnational action to address the city-migration-governance paradox? SOLI*CITY. Ryerson University.
• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina (2022): Why would African local authorities engage in questions of mixed migration? SOLI*CITY. Ryerson University.
• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina (2022): Making the case for migration research with African intermediary cities. SOLI*CITY. Ryerson University.
• Bendel, Petra; Günther, Johanna; Schweiger, Raphaela; Stürner-Siovitz, Janina (2021): Schutz von Afghan:innen auf verschiedenen politischen Ebenen. FluchtforschungsBlog, Netzwerk Fluchtforschung.
• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina (2021): Bringing Border Cities into the Center of Migration Governance. German Marshall Fund of the United States.
• Stürner-Siovitz, Janina; Costello, Paul (2021): What More Can Cities Do for Afghan Refugees? German Marshall Fund of the United States.
• Heimann, Christiane; Stürner, Janina; Costello, Paul (2021): Cities Managing Migration: the State of Affairs. German Marshall Fund of the United States.
• Stürner, Janina (2020): Talking the Talk – How Cities Shape Migration Narratives on the Global Agenda. Global Insights, Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
• Stürner, Janina (2019): Who Could Thrive Where? Imagining Resettlement as a Cooperative Mobility Strategy. Rethinking Refuge Blog, University of Oxford.
• Stürner, Janina (2019): Lokale Expertise anerkennen – Partizipative Strategien in urbanen Fluchtsituationen. FluchtforschungsBlog, Netzwerk Fluchtforschung.
• Stürner, Janina (2019): Partizipation und Ownership in Fluchtsituationen . FluchtforschungsBlog, Netzwerk Fluchtforschung.
• Bendel, Petra; Stürner, Janina (2018): Europäische Asylstandards nicht gefährden!, Flüchtlingsforschung gegen Mythen, FluchtforschungsBlog, Netzwerk Flüchtlingsforschung.

Podcast episodes

German Marshall Fund & Policy Center for the New South (2023): Migration Governance and City Diplomacy. Episode 2 – Thinking Across Latitudes Podcast.

Cities of Refuge (2022): A new role for cities: City diplomacy in global migration governance. Cities of Refuge Podcast.

Videos

Stürner-Siovitz, Janina; Videohelden (2023): Equal Partnerships. African intermediary cities as actors and partners in urban migration governance. Equal Partnerships.

03.04.2024: „Equal Partnerships Urban Training. Creating multi-stakeholder partnerships to address migration and displacement in African intermediary cities“, Equal Partnerships. Online Event.

13.03.2024: „The project is dead – long live the project. Towards sustainable multi-stakeholder partnerships for urban migration governance in African intermediary cities. Working Paper Launch“, Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, New School and Equal Partnerships, Online Event.

09.11.2023: „Multi-stakeholder partnerships in African intermediary cities. Launch of the Equal Partnerships website and multi-media content“, Equal Partnerships, Online Event.

24.05.2023: „Equal Partnerships – African intermediary cities as actors and partners in urban migration governance“, Panel, IDOS International Workshop, Contested Mobility: Between Local Needs, National Interests, and Global Trends, Bonn, Germany.

14.02.2023: „Curtain up! City diplomacy in global migration governance“, FAU Book Launch Event, Online Event.

10.11.2022: „African Intermediary Cities – The Role of Partnerships in Migration Governance“, Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, New School, New York, USA.

26.09.2022: „Avancer la coopération multipartite dans la gouvernance territoriale des migrations à Oujda“, Oujda, Morocco.

26.07.2022: „Multi-stakeholder cooperation on human mobility in Gulu City“, Gulu, Uganda.

26.08.2022: „City Diplomacy and Migration Governance“, Migration Diplomacy Module, School of Modern Diplomacy, UNU-CRIS, Online Event.

18.05.2022: „Multi-stakeholder Partnerships – African intermediary cities as actors and partners in urban migration governance“, Africities Workshop, 9th Africities Summit, Kisumu, Kenya.

27.08.2021: „City Diplomacy and Migration Governance“, Migration Diplomacy Module, School of Modern Diplomacy, UNU-CRIS, Online Event.

05.05.2021: „City Diplomacy in the Governance of Migration and Displacement”, Training for International Diplomats, Foreign Service Academy, Federal Foreign Office of Germany, Online Event.

26.03.2021: “What next for cities in European migration governance? How Covid-19 influences city diplomacy and bottom-up governance in the European Union”, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg and University of Hildesheim, Online Event.

29.10.2019: “When Mayors make Migration Policy – From field research to policy-oriented recommendations for multi-level migration and integration governance”, European Policy Centre (EPC), Brussels, Belgium.

10.04.2019: “From lost refugee agency in displacement to ownership for social and economic development? Workshop on (urban) displacement in host and transit countries”, Center for Area Studies, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.

22.11.2018: “Empowerment in der Zusammenarbeit mit Geflüchteten“, Conference Empowerment für Geflüchtete, FAU Integra, Forum für Integration und interkulturelle Kommunikation, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.

15.05.2024: „Partners or Implementers? The role of African intermediary cities in urban migration governance“, Migration Seminar Series, United Nations University UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, Netherlands.

07.05.2024: „What role for African intermediary cities in addressing irregular migration?“, City Initiative on Migrants with Irregular Status in Europe (C-MISE), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

02.05.2024: „Equal Partnerships. How multi-stakeholder partnerships change urban approaches to migration and displacement in African intermediary cities“, COMPAS-Series, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

05.03.2024: „African Intermediary Cities as Actors and Partners in Urban Migration Governance. Lessons learned from policy-oriented research with African local governments“, Guest lecture, Sciences Po, Paris, France.

23.11.2023: „City Diplomacy in the Governance of Migration and Displacement“, Migration Diplomacy Module, School of Modern Diplomacy, UNU-CRIS, Online Event.

27.09.2024: „Equal Partnerships. African Intermediary Cities as Actors and Partners addressing Urban Displacement. Challenges and Opportunities of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships“, IIED Forced Displacement and the City Symposium, London, UK.

24.07.2023: „Cities claiming agency in global migration governance“, BROAD-ER International Summer School Cities and International Migration: Themes, Concepts, Approaches, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey.

09.05.2023: „Equal Partnerships – Lessons learned for policy-oriented research on partnerships for urban migration governance“, Mixed Migration Centre Emerging Research Roundtable, Online Event.

30.03.2023: „City diplomacy and migration governance“, Master Program Sciences Po Paris, Zolberg Institute, New School, Online Guest Lecture.

16.03.2023: „African city diplomacy in global climate mobility debates“, International Studies Association Annual Conference, Montréal, Canada.

02.03.2023: „Equal Partnerships – African intermediary cities as actors and partners in urban migration governance“, Zolberg Collaborative Conference, Vienna, Austria.

02.03.2023: „Curtain up – City diplomacy in global migration governance“, Zolberg Collaborative Conference, Vienna, Austria.

13.06.2022: „Equal Partnerships – Working with African intermediary cities on questions of urban migration governance“, International Rescue Committee Roundtable, Online Event.

21.10.2022: „The power of migration narratives“, Sciences Po Paris, Online Guest Lecture.

10.02.2022: „A New Role for Cities? City Diplomacy in Global Migration Governance“, Going local: Integrationsprozesse von Geflüchteten/Migrant:innen auf lokaler Ebene. Deutsch-italienische Erfahrungen im europäischen Kontext, Villa Vigoni, Menaggio, Italy.

15.01.2022: „A New Role for African Local Authorities in Urban Migration Governance“, Africa in Movement Junior Scholars Workshop, Program on African Social Research (PASR) Columbia University and Rabat International University, Online Event.

16.09.2021: „Local Authorities and Refugee Protection Frameworks“, UNHCR-MMC Roundtable, UNHCR, Tunis, Tunisia.

31.03.2021: “Going the (social) distance: How migrant and refugee-sensitive urban COVID-19 responses contribute to the realization of the Global Compacts for Migration and Refugees”, Study Presentation, MC2CM Workshop, UCLG, ICMPD, UN-Habitat, Online Event.

17.02.2021: “Local Authorities as Allies in Promoting Protection Frameworks for Mobile Urban Populations”, Policy Paper Presentation, Protection in Mixed Movements:Policy Workshop on Protection Challenges on the Central (CMR) & Western Mediterranean Routes (WMR), Mixed Migration Centre and UNHCR, Online Event.

04.12.2020: “Talking the Talk. How Cities Shape Narratives on Migration and Displacement”, Sciences Po Paris, Online Guest Lecture.

17– 18.10.2019: “Suddenly, all politics is municipal? An analysis of municipal bottom-up strategies in European and international migration governance“, Research Paper Presentation, Workshop Cities and the Global Governance of Migration. An Under-Explored Link, European University Institute (EUI), Florence, Italy.

15.10.2019: “Potential von Kommunen bei der Aufnahme von Geflüchteten“, Symposium of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung RLP e.V. and the AK Asyl Flüchtlingsratn RLP e.V., Mainz, Germany.

04.– 07.09.2019: “Cities in European Integration Governance. An Analysis of Multi-level Governance in the EU Urban Partnership on Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees”, ECPR General Conference, University of Wrocław, Poland.

13.– 14.05.2019: “Your UNHCR issued tent does not come with canaries included”, Policy Paper Presentation, Workshop Lost and gained on the way. Placing ‚transit‘ migration in Europe, Africa and Asia, Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin, Germany.

10.04.2019: “Ownership statt Perspektivlosigkeit. Eine Diskussion unterschiedlicher Alternativen zu Camps”, Conference Städte statt Camps: Migration als Entwicklungschance? Center for Area Studies and Centre for Human Rights Erlangen-Nürnberg (CHREN), FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.

18.-19.03.2019: “Tailored to whom? Rethinking resettlement as participatory strategy to empower refugees and host communities”, Policy Paper Presentation, Conference Democratizing Displacement, Refugee Studies Center, University of Oxford, UK.

14.03.2019: “Think global – act local! The Impact of Municipalities on EU-Migration Governance”, Meeting of the EU Urban Partnership on Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees, Paris, France.

12.03.2019: “Wie werden Städte zu Akteuren in europäischer und internationaler Migrationspolitik?“ Conference Integrationspolitik im Fokus, Global Initiative on Health, Migration and Development, Freiburg, Germany.

13.02.2019: “Kommunen können das! EU-Migrationsgovernance durch kommunale Mitsprache voranbringen“, Policy Paper Launch, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Berlin, Germany.

11.12.2018: “Neue Akteure im Mehrebenensystem der europäischen und internationalen Migrationspolitik“, Studium Generale, Nuremberg, Germany.

26.11. – 28.11.2018: “The two-way ‘glocalisation’ of human rights or: How cities become international agents in migration governance“, Conference Cities, Territories and the Struggle for Human Rights: a 2030 perspective, University of Padova, Italy.

05.10. – 08.10.2018: “City Diplomacy against the Nation State? The rise of transnational city networks in EU migration politics“, Panel If Mayors Made Migration Policy: Der Nexus Kommune-Europäische Union in der Fluchtforschung, 2. Conference Netzwerk Fluchtforschung, Eichstätt, Germany.

12.07.2018: “The Project ‚When Mayors Make Migration Policy‘“, Conference Cities, Refugees and Human Rights, Center for Area Studies and Centre for Human Rights Erlangen-Nürnberg (CHREN), FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.

04.2024 – 06.2024: State of the Field Brief on Cities and Global Migration and Displacement to inform the MMC’s 2025-2030 Business Plan. Commissioned by the Mayors Migration Council.

01.2021 – 06.2024: Visiting Research Fellow of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Cities Managing Migration Program.

07.2023 – 08.2023: „Working with Local and Regional Governments: 12 Recommendations for Expanding IOM’s Leadership Role.“ IOM Leadership Note.

06.2020 – 10.2020: Policy Paper “Going the (social) distance. How migration and refugee-sensitive urban COVID-19 responses contribute to the realization of the Global Compacts for Migration and Refugees”. Study commissioned by UCLG and ICMPD in the framework of the Mediterranean City-to-City Migration Project (MC2CM).

12.2019 – 04.2020: Academic expertise for the internal reorientation process of the Bosch Stiftung as well as public policy paper on the topic “A new role for cities in global and regional migration governance?” Commissioned by Robert Bosch Stiftung.

5. – 09.2019: Evaluation of the EU Urban Partnership on the Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees 2016 – 2018. Commissioned by the European Commission and the City of Amsterdam.

5. – 12.2018: Policy Paper “A Local Turn for European Refugee Politics. Recommendations for Strengthening Municipalities and Local Communities in refugee and asylum policy of the EU”. Commissioned by Heinrich Böll Stiftung.

2018 – 2021: “When Mayors make Migration Policy”. Research project funded by Stiftung Mercator.