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Prof. Dr. Ellen Desmet

Professor of Migration Law

  • Academic Title Prof. Dr.
  • Email ellen.desmet[@]ugent.be
  • Phone +32 (0)9 264 69 13
Request appointment

Prof. Dr. Ellen Desmet's Bio

Ellen Desmet is an Associate Professor of Migration Law at the Faculty of Law and Criminology of Ghent University. She founded and heads the Migration Law Research Group (MigrLaw). Her research is situated at the intersection of migration law, human rights and legal anthropology. She teaches migration law and ‘Law and Society’, and coordinates the migration law component of the Human Rights and Migration Law Clinic.

Ellen Desmet complemented her law studies (KU Leuven) with a master in Cultures and Development Studies (KU Leuven) and a master in Development Cooperation (Ghent University). She holds a PhD in Law from the KU Leuven (2010) and previously held positions at the Children’s Rights Knowledge Centre, the Law and Development Research Group of the University of Antwerp and the Human Rights Centre of Ghent University.

Prof. Dr. Ellen Desmet's Publications

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Prof. Dr. Ellen Desmet's Professional Positions

  • Associate Professor of Migration Law, Ghent University (Oct. 2021 – present)
  • Assistant Professor of Migration Law, Ghent University (Oct. 2016 – present)
  • Post-doctoral fellow, Ghent University, Human Rights Centre (2012–Sept. 2016) – 50%
  • Post-doctoral fellow, University of Antwerp, Law and Development Research Group (2012– Sept. 2016) – 50%
  • Lecturer in anthropology of law (subst.), KU Leuven, Law Faculty (2012)
  • Senior research and policy advice officer, Children’s Rights Knowledge Centre (KeKi) (2010 – 2012)
  • Voluntary post-doctoral fellow, KU Leuven, Institute for Migration Law and Legal Anthropology (2010 – 2012)
  • PhD researcher, KU Leuven, Institute for Migration Law and Legal Anthropology (2005 – 2009)

Prof. Dr. Ellen Desmet's Education

University Degrees

  • Doctor in Law, KU Leuven, Belgium, 2010
  • Master in Development Cooperation, Ghent University, magna cum laude, 2004
  • Master in Cultures and Development Studies (CADES), KU Leuven, magna cum laude, 2003
  • Licentiate in law, KU Leuven, magna cum laude, 2002
  • University of Stellenbosch, South Africa (LL.M., one semester)
  • Candidate in law, KU Leuven, Department of Kortrijk (KULAK), magna cum laude, 1998

Prof. Dr. Ellen Desmet's Sideline activities/memberships

  • Associate editor of Legal Pluralism and Critical Social Analysis, 2022 – present
  • Executive body member of the Commission on Legal Pluralism, 2022 – present
  • Board member of the Vereniging voor de Sociaal-Wetenschappelijke Bestudering van het Recht (VSR – Dutch-Flemish Law and Society Association), 2021 – present
  • Board member of Myria – Federal Migration Centre, 2021 – present
  • Board member of Unia – Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunities, 2021 – present
  • Promoter of the interdisciplinary research consortium ‘UGent Human Rights Network’, 2020 – present
  • Promoter of the interdisciplinary research consortium ‘Crime, Criminology and Criminal Policy’ (CCCP), 2017 – present
  • Board member of NANSEN – the Belgian Refugee Council, 2016 – present
  • Promotor of the Centre for the Social Study of Migration and Refugees (CESSMIR), 2016 – present
  • Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the International Journal of Children’s Rights, 2015 – present
  • Member of the Ghent Rolin-Jaequemyns International Law Institute(GRILI), 2015 – present
  • Member of the Steering Committee of the Scholars at Risk Network, Ghent University, 2014 – present
Prof. Dr. Ellen Desmet's work details
  • Contact Hours: on appointment
  • Visiting Address: Paddenhoek 5, 3rd floor, 9000 Gent, Belgium
  • Postal Address: Ghent University, Campus Aula, Universiteitstraat 4, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
  • SECRETARIAT OF HRC: +32 (0)9 264 69 11
Prof. Dr. Ellen Desmet's expertise
  • Migration Law
  • Human rights law, with a focus on children’s rights law

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