Since 2025

Beyond the Stereotypes in Skilled Migration: Gender Dynamics and Role of Agency in East Asia, collaboration on the Anthropology of Asia with M. Wadhwa, R. Achenbach, D. Kim, and A. Muranaka.

Since 2024

Comparative Perspectives on the Transformation of East Asian Labor Markets through International Skilled Migration, with Aimi Muranaka, Institute of East Asian Studies, University of Duisburg-Essen and Kikuko Nagayoshi, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo.

Since 2024

Recalibrating ‘Skill’ in Changing Immigration Regimes: Skilled Migrants and the Nature of Work in Asia (with A. Muranaka, R. Achenbach, Y. Wang, and B.S.A. Yeoh), in collaboration with the Asian Migration Cluster, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore.

03/2021-02/2025

Qualification and Skill in the Migration Process of Foreign Workers in Asia (QaMaFA), collaborative project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (with Ruth Achenbach, Aimi Muranaka, Joohyun Justine Park, and Megha Wadhwa); PI of sub-project ‘Foreign entrepreneurs in Tokyo's and Singapore's knowledge-intensive start-up sector’.  

2019-2025

Tokyo's Attractiveness for Global Talent: A Comparative Study of Tokyo, Singapore, and Sao Paulo, Principal Investigator, Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science Early-Career Scientists Award.

2019-2023

New and Old Diversity Exchange (NODE) UK-Japan network

Collaborating Researcher, Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, UZH & Institute of Asian Migrations, Waseda University.

2/2020 ~

Senior Research and Teaching Fellow in Social Science of Japan, Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, University of Zurich

• Teaching at BA & MA level, Social Science of Japan
• Teaching in the Master Program Modern Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
• Lecturer PhD research group, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
• Research and Academic Management, Social Science of Japan

3/2021 ~ 02/2025

Research Fellow, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Guest Researcher affiliation since 3/2025

4/2019 – 9/2019

Lecturer, Graduate School of Global Studies, Sophia University, JP

10/2018 –1/2020

Research Associate, Waseda Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University, Japan; Guest Researcher affiliation since 2/2020

2015 – 2018

Research Assistant, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University, Japan

2017 – 2018

Teaching Assistant, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University, Japan

2013 – 2014

Teaching Assistant in the International Study Program, Waseda University, Japan

4/2012 – 9/2012

Full-time intern at the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Japan, Tokyo

9/2018

Ph.D., International Studies (MEXT stipend), Waseda University, Japan

1-2/2017

Visiting PhD scholar at the Japanese Studies Department, National University of Singapore

9/2015

M.A., International Relations (MEXT stipend), Waseda University, Japan

1-2/2015

Visiting Graduate student at the School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

3/2012

B.A., Asian Studies, University of Bonn, Germany

9/2010 – 2/2011

Exchange Student at Keio University, Japan

3/2021 – 2/2025

PI of project funding ‘Foreign entrepreneurs in Tokyo's and Singapore's knowledge-intensive start-up sector’ (EUR 153,602) 

sub-project of joint project “Qualification and Skill in the Migration Process of Foreign Workers in Asia”, Federal Ministry of Education & Research, GER

4/2024

Project funding Toshiba International Foundation, with K. Nagayoshi and A. Muranaka (CHF 12,000)

2019 – 2024

PI of project funding ‘Tokyo's attractiveness for global talent: a comparative study of Tokyo, Singapore, and Sao Paulo’, (JPY 2,400,000), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

11/2023

Conference funding Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG (EUR 19,697) (with A. Muranaka, R. Achenbach, J.J. Park, and M. Wadhwa)

4/2023

Project funding Toshiba International Foundation (EU 12,000.00) (with A. Muranaka, R. Achenbach, J.J. Park, and M. Wadhwa)

9/2020

Workshop Funding Graduate Campus UZH (CHF 3,153), with N. Gilgen and F. Holm

2013 – 2018

Full stipend for Master and PhD, Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)

2013 – 2018

Future Leader’s Program for Regional Governance and Cooperation in Asia, Waseda University

2015 & 2017

Dissertation fieldwork funding, JPY 250,000 each, Haraguchi Memorial Asia Research Fund, Waseda University

9/2015

Valedictorian MA Program, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University, JP

2014

Highest Honors List 2014, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University, JP

2009 – 2012

Grantee of NRW-Stipendium, Scholarship of the Federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

1/2025

International Workshop Recalibrating ‘Skill’ in Changing Immigration Regimes: Skilled Migrants and the Nature of Work in Asia, Workshop convenor (with A. Muranaka, R. Achenbach, Y. Wang, and B.S.A. Yeoh), Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore.

12/2024

Closing Workshop Collaborative research project “Qualification and Skill in the Migration Process of Foreign Workers in Asia”, (QuaMaFa), Workshop Convenor. Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen, GER

11/2024

International Workshop Comparative Perspectives on the Transformation of East Asian Labor Markets through International Skilled Migration, Workshop Convenor (with K. Nagayoshi and A. Muranaka), University of Tokyo, Japan

8/2024

Workshop Staying practices of skilled migrants in industrialized countries: Comparative perspectives from (East) Asia and Switzerland. Workshop convenor, Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, Zurich, CH.

12/2023

UZH-wide exchange on migration in Asia Workshop convenor (with D. Chiavacci), Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, University of Zurich, CH.

11/2023

Annual Conference German Association for Social Science Research on Japan (VSJF) “Labor and (Im)mobility in Japan and East and Southeast Asia: Transnational, Regional and Rural-Urban Perspectives.” Japanese-German Center Berlin, Convenor (with R. Achenbach, A. Muranaka, J.J. Park, and M. Wadhwa)

12/2021

Graduate Student Workshop Practical Issues of Fieldwork in Japan. Convenor (with C. Fusari and N. Gilgen), University of Zurich, CH.

11/2020

Graduate Student Workshop Facing Methodological Challenges in Asian Studies. Online. Convenor (with N. Gilgen and F. Holm), University of Zurich, CH.

8/2018

International Conference The Question of Skills in Cross-border Labor Mobility, Co-convenor (with B. Yeoh, M. Baas and G. Liu-Farrer), Waseda University, Tokyo, JP.

3/2025 ~

Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Goettingen, Germany

3/2021 ~

Institute of Asian Migrations, Waseda University, Japan

03/2021 – 02/2025

Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, SG

04/2019 – 01/2020

Center for Metropolitan Studies, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Release 12/2024

Documentary of QuaMaFa film “Home in the Making”, trailer Director: Megha Wadhwa; Research and Camera: Ruth Achenbach, Helena Hof, Aimi Muranaka, Joohyun Justine Park, Megha Wadhwa

03/2025

Career Event for MAMES Master students, UZH, Organizer in collaboration with UZH Career Services and the student association

12/2024

“Migration, Retention & Incorporation of the Highly Skilled”, MPI-MMG In Dialogue hybrid, public event at the Max Planck Institute; organizer and moderator, accessible via Youtube

Spring 2024

Public Lecture Series “Diversifying Immigrant Societies in (East) Asia”, Co-organized by QuaMaFA & the Institute of East Asian Studies (IN-EAST), University of Duisburg-Essen

10/2023

“Talented employees go global. Migration of young Europeans to Asia in search of distinction and alternative life paths.” Invited talk at Career Forum, International Online Conference for Career Professionals. #CAREERFORUM2023.

Fall 2022

Public Lecture Series “Female Skilled Labor Migration Across the Globe”, co-organized by QuaMaFA and Goethe University Frankfurt

02/2022

Podcast of “The EU Migrant Generation in Asia”. New Books Network, accessible here.

10/2020 ~

Editorial Services: Book Reviews Editor of the peer-reviewed journal Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration  

2019 ~

Scientific reviewing activities for academic journals, including Applied Mobilities, Comparative Migration Studies, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Global Networks, Japan Jahrbuch, Ethnic and Migration Studies, Mobilities, Sociology of Race, Urban Studies, Wellbeing, Space & Society, etc.

01/2018

日本で働くヨーロッパ移民 (European Migrants Working in Japan, in Japanese), Public talk for engaging the youth, Student Panel Discussion: Refugees, Labor Migrants, Stateless People], University of the Sacred Heart, Institute for Sustainable, Futures, Tokyo, JP.