乐鱼后台

Verena Seibel is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences and a member of the (ERCOMER).

Verena has developed the concept of system knowledge鈥攖hat is, knowledge about the organization, accessibility, and eligibility criteria of welfare services (e.g., childcare) and welfare benefits (e.g., unemployment benefits). She investigates the causes of limited system knowledge among migrant populations and the role social networks play in acquiring welfare information. Following an interdisciplinary approach, Verena draws on insights from sociology, social policy, social psychology, and political science to contribute to a deeper understanding of migrants鈥� integration opportunities.

Her work involves both quantitative and qualitative data collection, funded by, among others, the Netspar Theme Grant (2025), the Microdata Access Grant (2024), and the NWO Open Competition Grant XS (2022). Verena thereby actively involves stakeholders in the field to develop her research questions and survey and interview design. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, the Journal of Migration and Health, and the Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies. In addition, Verena has authored several policy briefs on migrants' barriers to healthcare and childcare, as well as public-facing pieces for platforms like Stuk Rood Vlees and Sociaal Bestek.

Since 2022, Verena has been a member of the  Utrecht Young Academy (UYA), where she serves on the Diversity Committee. Since 2023, she has held the position of Vice Chair. Her previous roles include Chair of the Finance Committee and Chair of the Selection Committee.

Verena is a member of the international editorial board of the Journal of Ethnic and Racial Studies and a guest editor of the upcoming special issue "Migration, Mobility, and Social Rights: Inverting the Lens on Inequality鈥� in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.