Steven Vertovec Appointed President of the New International Panel on Migration (IPM)
Göttingen, May 15, 2026 – Steven Vertovec, Managing Director of the Max Planck Institute for Political and Social Science (MPIPS), has been appointed President of the newly established International Panel on Migration (IPM). The IPM is an independent, interdisciplinary, and permanent scientific institution dedicated to bridging the gap between migration research, policymaking, and public discourse.
"Never before has the chasm been so vast between the outcomes of rigorous scientific research on migration and the assumptions underpinning how members of the public – and many policymakers – think about migration." – Steven Vertovec, President of the IPM
Closing the gap between research and policy
The IPM was founded on a shared conviction: that migration policy, one of the most consequential issues of our time, must be grounded in rigorous evidence. What began in 2018 with an open letter signed by more than 800 scientists, published simultaneously in The Guardian and Le Monde, has now grown into an emerging global institution. Inspired by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the IPM develops a comparable scientific format for migration: rigorous, systematic evidence assessments that provide policymakers, media, and the public with a reliable knowledge base.
Leading a global scientific initiative
Steven Vertovec takes on the role of inaugural President of the IPM, an institution-building task that brings together leading migration scholars from across regions. He leads the Panel alongside three regional Vice-Presidents: Leander Kandilige (Africa), Claudia Patricia Masferrer León (Americas), and Brenda S.A. Yeoh (Asia). The Secretariat is hosted at the Zolberg Institute, The New School (New York).
Four thematic Working Groups
In its founding phase (2025–2027), the IPM is establishing four thematic Working Groups, each tasked with producing a systematic, scientific review of evidence on a globally significant migration research question. Environmental Migration assesses the scientific evidence on the environment-migration nexus. Migration and Society synthesises evidence on the social dimensions of migration, including integration, public attitudes, discrimination, and social cohesion across world regions. Forced Migration builds the evidence base on displacement, protection, and durable solutions. Demography and Migration assesses the demographic dimensions of migration and their long-term societal implications. Together, the four Working Groups form the scientific engine of the Panel, with the first assessment reports expected in late 2026 or early 2027.
About MPIPS
The Max Planck Institute for Political and Social Science (MPIPS), based in Göttingen, conducts research on social change, political crises, and democracies under pressure. It combines political science and sociology with a broad interdisciplinary perspective. MPIPS began its work in March 2026 as a programmatic reorientation of the former Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity that was founded by Steven Vertovec.
Press Contact:
Christiane Kofri, Press and Public Relations, Max Planck Institute for Political and Social Science.
chris.kofri@ips.mpg.de, +49 1706537526, www.ips.mpg.de.
More information about the IPM:
www.migrationpanel.org