Isabell Schierenbeck

Isabell Schierenbeck is Professor of Political Science at the School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Her research focuses on diasporas and foreign policy, the geopolitics of the Red Sea, and Middle Eastern politics, with a particular specialization in Israeli politics. Her earlier work examined migration and public administration, and she has maintained a long-standing interest in research ethics and fieldwork safety in hostile environments. She is also a frequent commentator on Israeli and Middle Eastern affairs in Swedish radio, television, and the national press.

Schierenbeck has two ongoing research projects:

Diasporas and Foreign Policy: A Comparative Analysis (funded by the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond)
Foreign policy has traditionally been insulated from domestic politics, but recent research indicates that civil society actors, including diaspora groups, increasingly shape foreign policy agendas, as illustrated by responses to developments in Iran, Sweden's NATO accession, and the Gaza war. Despite these developments, we know relatively little about when and how diaspora groups influence foreign policy. This project examines the role of five diaspora communities (Assyrian, Iranian, Jewish/Israeli, Kurdish, Palestinian) in shaping the foreign policy of five European states (France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK).

Geopolitics at the Margins: Exploring Emergent Political Orders across the Red Sea (funded by the Swedish Research Council)
The Red Sea has emerged as a key arena of renewed geopolitical competition and strategic interest. Drawing on the literature on critical geopolitics, this project starts from the premise that political interaction between states is not only driven by material interests but also by the construction of shared ideas, narratives, and understandings. It investigates how such common ideational ground is established across the Red Sea in different policy arenas.

For further information about these projects, see (https://www.gu.se/en)

Schierenbeck has been a visiting professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her research has appeared in journals including Foreign Policy Analysis, International Affairs, International Relations, Israel Affairs, and Third World Quarterly. She has authored and edited several academics outlets and books. In 2026 she published Vändpunkt Tel Aviv (in Swedish), that blends combines memoir, family history, historical inquiry, and political analysis. Schierenbeck currently serves as Pro-Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Gothenburg, with responsibility for research and doctoral education. She has taught at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels in qualitative methods, research design, research ethics, and Middle Eastern and Israeli politics, and supervised seven doctoral students to completion.

In addition to research, teaching, and academic leadership, Schierenbeck has extensive experience in academic leadership and advisory work. She previously served as Vice Chair and board member of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI). She is currently a board member of the Institute of Turkish Studies (Stockholm University) and serves on the advisory board for SUHF Global Engagement.

Languages

Fluent: Swedish (native), English, German. Proficient: Hebrew.

Publications (in selection)

Schierenbeck, I., Aggestam, L. & A. F. Wackenhut (2026) “Identity, homeland and transformative events: diaspora mobilisation among Jews and Israelis in Sweden”, Israel Affairs 32(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/13537121.2025.2512412

Schierenbeck, I. (2026) “The judicial reforms and the protest movement in Israel – what now?” in Aggestam, K. (ed.) Israel. Democratic Backsliding and Elusive Peace. Berlin, New York: Springer.

Bachmann, J., Ashagrie, B., & I. Schierenbeck (2025) “Geocultural Power in the Red Sea Region”, Foreign Policy Analysis 21(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/fpa/orae039

Schierenbeck, I. (2025) Vändpunkt Tel Aviv. Det tyska arvet, kärleken och politiken. Stockholm: Ordfront Förlag. (in Swedish)

Aggestam, L., Schierenbeck, I. & A. F. Wackenhut (2023) “Sweden, NATO and the role of diasporas in foreign policy”, International Affairs 99 (6), 2367-2385.

Jung, A., Irgil, E., Schierenbeck, I. & A. Spehar (2023) “Navigating through Depoliticisation: International Stakeholders and Refugee Reception in Jordan and Turkey”, Third World Quarterly 44 (5), 1021-1038.

Froitzheim, M., Söderbaum, F. & I. Schierenbeck (2022) “Peace research meets implementation studies: the role of implementing actors”, International Relations 36 (2), 285-306.

Grimm, J., Koehler, K., Lust, E., Saliba, I. & I. Schierenbeck (2020) Safer Field Research in the Social Sciences: A Guide to Human and Digital Security in Hostile Environments. London: Sage.