Biography

Jill Ahrens is currently conducting doctoral research with Nigerians in Germany, England and Spain. In her research she explores the experiences and motivations of intra-EU mobility and immobility in the context of the Nigerian diaspora(s). This research is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and her supervisors are Prof. Russell King and Dr Michael Collyer. 

She has an interdisciplinary background that includes economics, politics, cultural studies and research methods. She worked as a researcher at the Sussex Centre for Migration Research on projects related to student mobility (funded by BIS and HEFCE) and Migrations between Africa and Europe (MAFE funded by the European Commission). Previously she gained experience in migrants rights advocacy while working for the Manchester Refugee Support Network and Threshold Women's Counselling Service.

Qualifications

• PhD candidate in Migration Studies, University of Sussex
• MSc in Comparative and Cross-Cultural Research Methods, University of Sussex, 2010
• MA in Migration Studies, University of Sussex, 2007
• BA (Hons) in European Studies and Modern Languages, University of Manchester and University of Barcelona, 2006 

During summer semester 2013 Jill will be a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Bonn. Between 2010-2012 she was teaching as an Associate Tutor at Sussex on the undergraduate course Culture, Race and Ethnicity. She also taught German as a Language Teaching Assistant for A-level students at the Withington Girls' School for two years.

King, Russell, Findlay, Allan, Ahrens, Jill and Geddes, Alistair (2013) British Students in the United States: motivations, experiences and career aspirations. In: International students and scholars in the United States: coming from abroad. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. ISBN 9781137024466

King, Russell, Christou, Anastasia and Ahrens, Jill (2011) 'Diverse mobilities': second-generation Greek-Germans engage with the homeland as children and as adults. Mobilities, 6 (4). pp. 483-501. ISSN 1745-0101

King, Russell, Findlay, Allan, Ahrens, Jill and Dunne, Mairead (2011) Reproducing advantage: the perspective of English school leavers on studying abroad. Globalisation, societies and education, 9 (2). pp. 161-181. ISSN 1476-7724

King, Russell, Christou, Anastasia and Ahrens, Jill (2010) From first-generation guestworkers to second-generation transnationalists: German-born Greeks engage with the 'homeland'. University of Sussex.

Ahrens, Jill, King, Russell, Skeldon, Ronald and Dunne, Mairead (2010) Motivations of UK students to study abroad: a survey of school-leavers. Working Paper. University of Sussex.

King, Russell, Findlay, Allan and Ahrens, Jill (2010) International student mobility literature review: final report. Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Findlay, A M, King, R, Geddes, A, Smith, F, Stam, A, Dunne, M, Skeldon, R and Ahrens, J (2010) Motivations and experiences of UK students studying abroad. Project Report. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, London.