Dr. Karolina Augustova

Biography

Karolina Augustova joined the University of Glasgow as a lecturer in Sociology in 2023. She has previously served as a lecturer in Sociology and International Relations at Northumbria University and as an ESRC postdoctoral fellow at Aston University. As an IPC-Mercator fellow at the Istanbul Policy Centre (Sabanci University), she began exploring issues related to inequalities, migration, and violence over a decade ago through her volunteer work with homeless women in Czechia, children with disabilities in Ukraine, and migrant communities in the UK and Serbia. Her academic journey has been deeply influenced by these experiences. Her research integrates sociology, international relations, criminology, and human geography to contribute to critical migration, border, and security studies. Augustova has conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork in makeshift camps and has interviewed people involved in migration from various perspectives, including smugglers and humanitarian workers. She aims to shed light on the complexities of international migration measures and their intersection with local realities, producing everyday violence for migrants and locals alike. Her work draws from feminist and postcolonial theories to understand the dynamics of border security and explores strategies of resistance among various groups navigating these complex environments. Augustova collaborates with diverse humanitarian groups and has contributed to media articles and commentaries in prominent outlets such as The Guardian, Al Jazeera, and VICE News.

Research Interests

Experience