Professor Dr. Marthe Achtnich

Biography

Marthe Achtnich is an Assistant Professor of Development Studies at the University of Cambridge's Centre of Development Studies, which is part of the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS). She holds a DPhil (PhD) in Anthropology and an MPhil in Migration Studies from the University of Oxford. Marthe's research focuses on migration mobility, specifically the lived experiences, governance, and economies related to migration. Her recent book, 'Mobility Economies Europe's Borderlands: Migrants' Journeys from Libya to the Mediterranean,' published in 2023, won the 2024 BISA Susan Strange Book Prize. The book examines the journeys of sub-Saharan migrants through perilous routes, including the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, challenging traditional economic perspectives on mobility. Marthe has conducted ethnographic fieldwork with migrants in Libya and Malta and has published articles in renowned journals such as American Ethnologist, Cultural Anthropology, and Economy and Society.

Research Interests