Jessica Hagen Zanker
About Jessica Hagen Zanker
Jessica Hagen Zanker is a Senior Research Fellow in Migration at the Overseas Development Institute, where she leads research on the impacts of migration on migrants and their families. She holds a PhD focused on migration's effects on households in Albania and Moldova and has extensive experience in conducting evidence-based literature reviews and impact evaluations.
Work at ODI
Jessica Hagen Zanker has been a key member of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) since 2014. She currently holds the position of Senior Research Fellow in Migration, a role she has occupied since 2018. In this capacity, she leads migration research, focusing on the impacts of migration on migrants and their families. Prior to her current role, she served as a Research Officer in Social Protection from 2010 to 2014. Her work at ODI emphasizes rigorous, evidence-based literature reviews and quasi-experimental impact evaluations related to migration and social protection.
Education and Expertise
Jessica Hagen Zanker earned her Master of Science in International Economics Studies from Maastricht University, completing her studies from 2000 to 2004. She further pursued her academic career at the same institution, obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 2010. Her doctoral research specifically examined the causes and effects of migration on migrant households in source countries, with a focus on Albania and Moldova. This educational background supports her extensive expertise in migration and social protection.
Background
Before joining ODI, Jessica Hagen Zanker worked at the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance. She served as an Academic Coordinator for the Social Protection Financing and Social Protection Policy Master's Programs from 2004 to 2009. Additionally, she held the position of Researcher and Tutor at the same institution for one year. Earlier in her career, she interned at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2003, where she worked in the Social Security department.
Achievements
Jessica Hagen Zanker has made significant contributions to the field of migration research. She has developed and executed rigorous literature reviews and has extensive experience in designing and analyzing household surveys in low-income countries. Her participation as a speaker at the event 'Migration decision-making: beyond political rhetoric and guesswork' highlights her active engagement in discussions surrounding migration. She is also active on social media, sharing insights and research findings related to her work.