Stefan Manser-Egli is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Fribourg (CH) and at the University of Amsterdam (NL). He holds a PhD from the University of Neuchâtel (CH), his thesis in Social Science and Political Philosophy enquires into il/liberal integrationism and, in particular, the role of “shared (liberal) values” in migration and integration governance. Currently, he holds a Postdoc.Mobility fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation to conduct research on “state denialism” at the University of Fribourg (CH) and at the University of Amsterdam (NL). He is a board member of the IMISCOE Standing Committee Reflexivities in Migration Studies and associated with the ‘nccr – on the move’, the Swiss National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) for migration and mobility studies. (ORCID)

2012 – 2015: Bachelor in International Relations, University of Geneva (CH)
2016 – 2018: Master in Political, Legal and Economic Philosophy (PLEP) and Gender Studies, University of Bern (CH)
2019 – 2024: PhD researcher and teaching assistant, Laboratoire de processus sociaux (LAPS) and nccr - on the move, University of Neuchâtel (CH)
2024 – 2026: Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoc.Mobility Fellow: «Challenging State Legitimacy: State Denialism in Liberal Democracy»

2024 – 2026: Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship: «Challenging State Legitimacy: State Denialism in Liberal Democracy», University of Fribourg (CH) and University of Amsterdam (NL)

2019 – 2024: PhD thesis «Il/liberal Integrationism. A Contradiction in Terms: Respecting the Values of the Constitution as an Integration Requirement in Switzerland», University of Neuchâtel (CH) and nccr - on the move

JOURNAL ARTICLE: Manser-Egli, S. (2025). Illiberal integrationism: shared values as an integration requirement in liberal democracy. Journal of Political Power 1-20 (online first). https://doi.org/10.1080/2158379X.2025.2538462.

JOURNAL ARTICLE: (equal co-authors) Manser-Egli, S., and P. Lutz (2025). Integration for whom? The migration bias in social norms. European Societies 1-16 (online first). https://doi.org/10.1162/euso.a.30.

JOURNAL ARTICLE: Manser-Egli, S. (2025). Integration as a totalizing institution: a moral economy of street-level knowledge production on immigrant integration. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 51 (10): 2547–2565. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2025.2461346.

DOCTORAL THESIS: Manser-Egli, S. (2024). Il/liberal Integrationism. A Contradiction in Terms: Respecting the Values of the Constitution as an Integration Requirement in Switzerland. PhD Thesis. https://doi.org/10.35662/unine-thesis-3117.

JOURNAL ARTICLE: Manser-Egli, S. (2023). Respecting the Values of the Constitution: Integration in the Community of Value(s). Frontiers in Political Science 5 (March): 1124552. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2023.1124552. 

JOURNAL ARTICLE: (equal co-authors) Dahinden, J., and S. Manser-Egli (2023). Gendernativism and Liberal Subjecthood: The Cases of Forced Marriage and the Burqa Ban in Switzerland. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society 30 (1): 140–63. https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxab053.

JOURNAL ARTICLE: (equal co-authors) P. Lutz, A. Stünzi, S. Manser-Egli (2021). Responsibility-Sharing in Refugee Protection: Lessons from Climate Governance. International Studies Quarterly 65(2): 476–487, https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqab016.

JOURNAL ARTICLE: S. Egli (2017). «Es ist ein Mädchen!» Von der Sprechakttheorie zur Performativität der Geschlechter. Meta(φ) 2: 50-54. Fachschaft Philosophie, Universität Bern.

BOOK CHAPTER: S. Manser-Egli (2024). Demokratie statt Integration. In Argumentarium für ein neues Bürgerrecht, S. Baier, T. Cardoso, K. Espahangizi, S. King-Savić & B. von Rütte (eds.). Institut Neue Schweiz INES, Bern.

BOOK CHAPTER: S. Manser-Egli (2022). Liberalismus als Kulturkampf: Integration in die Wertegemeinschaft. In «Gelungene Integration»: Ethische und rechtliche Perspektiven, L. Kirchmair & G. Schweiger (eds.). Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart. 

BOOK CHAPTER: S. Manser-Egli (2020). Von ungeteilter Macht und unhinterfragter Hochwohlgeborenheit. In Macht direkte Demokratie, Stiftung für direkte Demokratie (ed.). Kölliken: buch & netz.

OP-ED: S. Manser-Egli (2025). Von der Integration zur gelebten Demokratie. terra cognita – Schweizer Zeitschrift zu Integration und Migration, Federal Commission on Migration FCM, Sommer 41/2025.

OP-ED: (equal co-authors) P. Lutz, A. Stünzi, D. Kaufmann and S. Manser-Egli (2019). Wie kann die europäische Asylpolitik reformiert werden? terra cognita - Schweizer Zeitschrift zu Integration und Migration, Federal Commission on Migration FCM, Herbst 35/2019.

DISCUSSION PAPER: (equal co-authors) P. Lutz, A. Stünzi, D. Kaufmann and S. Egli, foraus – Swiss Forum on Foreign Policy (2017). Prisoners of the Dublin Dilemma: How to reform the Common European Asylum System?, Discussion Paper, Zurich. 

BLOG: S. Manser-Egli, and P. Lutz (2025). Voor immigranten gelden strengere sociale normen. Sociale Vraagstukken. https://www.socialevraagstukken.nl/migratiesamenleving/voor-immigranten-gelden-strengere-sociale-normen/

BLOG: S. Manser-Egli (2022). The Complicity of Culturalist Knowledge Production. nccr – on the move and IMISCOE Standing Committee on Reflexivities in Migration Studies, https://nccr-onthemove.ch/blog/the-complicity-of-culturalist-knowledge-production/ (also here).

BLOG: P. Lutz, A. Stünzi, and S. Manser-Egli (2021). Making responsibility-sharing operational: Comparing asylum and climate governance. Rethinking Refuge, University of Oxford, https://www.rethinkingrefuge.org/articles/making-responsibility-sharing-operational-comparing-asylum-and-climate-gove (also in German).

BLOG: J. Dahinden and S. Manser-Egli (2021). Gendernativism in the (Il)Liberal State: The Burqa Ban in Switzerland. nccr – on the move, https://blog.nccr-onthemove.ch/gendernativism-in-the-illiberal-state-the-burqa-ban-in-switzerland/?lang=de (also in German and French).

BLOG: P. Lutz and S. Manser-Egli (2019). Schengen-Dublin als öffentliches Gut eines integrierten Europas. nccr – on the move, https://blog.nccr-onthemove.ch/schengen-dublin-als-oeffentliches-gut-eines-integrierten-europas/?lang=de.

BLOG: S. Egli (2017). «Die unterdrückte Muslimin»: von der Überheblichkeit der ersten Welt. foraus – Swiss Forum on Foreign Policy, https://www.foraus.ch/posts/die-unterdrueckte-muslimin-von-der-ueberheblichkeit-der-ersten-welt/.

BLOG: S. Egli (2015). Welche Integration? Homogene Gesellschaft als Illusion. foraus – Swiss Forum on Foreign Policy, https://www.foraus.ch/posts/welche-integration-homogene-gesellschaft-als-illusion/.

Kolloquium ‘Sozialer Wandel’: ‘Privileged at the margins: Die Staatsverweigererszene in der Schweiz’, Universität Basel, October 7, 2025.

ipb Annual Conference: ‘Staatsverweigerung avant la lettre: Alter und neuer Souveränismus’, ipb Annual Conference 2025: Protests and Social Movements between Innovation and Tradition, University of Bremen, October 1-2, 2025.

Centre for Migration Law: ‘Il/liberal Integrationism: Shared Values as an Integration Requirement in Liberal Democracy’, Radboud University, Nijmegen, September 2, 2025. 

22nd IMISCOE Annual Conference: ‘The Scientism of Integration: Colonial Modernity Logics Within the Integration Science-Policy Nexus’, Paris-Aubervilliers, July 1-4, 2025.

22nd IMISCOE Annual Conference: ‘Essentially Migranticized: Immigrant Integration Research Beyond Redemption’, Paris-Aubervilliers, July 1-4, 2025.

Doktorandenkolloquium: Departement für Zeitgeschichte, La Ferrière. ‘Rechts/alternativ? Alte Eidgenossen und neue Staatsverweigerer’, University of Fribourg, May 15-16, 2025.

Workshop: IMISCOE Standing Committee Reflexivities in Migration Studies: Heading towards the future!, Centre for Migration Research (CMR), University of Warsaw, May 9-10, 2025.

REFUFAM Conference: ‘The Scientism of Integration: Colonial Modernity Logics Within the Integration Science-Policy Nexus’, Odisee, University of Applied Sciences, Brussels, April 23-24, 2025.

SNLS Conference: 2nd Conference of the Swiss Network for Law and Society (SNLS). ‘Challenging State Legitimacy: State Denialism in Liberal Democracy’, University of Bern, February 10-12, 2025. 

Forschungskolloquium Soziologie: ‘Geteilte Werte als Integrationskriterium in der liberalen Demokratie: ein Widerspruch?’, University of Bern, October 30, 2024.

Workshop: Rechtsalternative Bewegungen und Milieus nach 1945. ‘Gegen die Legitimität des Staates: Staatsverweigerer in der liberalen Demokratie’, University of Fribourg, October 18, 2024.

Workshop with Alex Sager: Political Theory and Methodological Nationalism, University of Geneva, May 13-14, 2024.

IKG Forum Bielefeld: ‘The Scientism of ‘Integration’: Co-production of Colonial Modernity Logics Within the Integration Science-Policy Nexus’, University of Bielefeld (Germany), October 5, 2023.

Tübingen Conference (presenter): ‘Shared Values as an Integration Requirement: Precarious Liberalism or What Democracy Is Really Like’, University of Tübingen (Germany), September 14, 2023.

Tübingen Conference (organizer): Migration Studies and Social Theory: Problematizing Ontologies, De-Centering Migration, University of Tübingen (Germany), September 14-15, 2023.

ECPR General Conference: ‘Respecting the Values of the Constitution: Integration in the Community of Value(s)’, Charles University (Prague), September 4-8, 2023.

ECPR General Conference: ‘The Science-Policy Nexus: Colonial Modernity Logics of Cultural Distance and Knowledge Production in European Integration Regimes’, Charles University (Prague), September 4-8, 2023.

6th Neuchâtel Graduate Conference of Migration and Mobility Studies: ‘Precarious Liberalism: Shared Values as an Integration Requirement’, University of Neuchâtel, July 11-12, 2023.

20th IMISCOE Annual Conference: ‘Integration as a Total Institution: Moral Economies of Knowledge Production on Immigrant Integration’, University of Warsaw, July 3-6, 2023.

20th IMISCOE Annual Conference: ‘Integration Expectations for Whom? Experimental Evidence from Switzerland’, University of Warsaw, July 3-6, 2023.

European Social Science History Conference: ‘The Scientificity of ‘Cultural Distance’: Colonial Modernity Logics in the Integration Science-Policy Nexus’, University of Gothenburg, April 12-15, 2023.

ESA RN35 Midterm Conference: ‘The Crisis of Integrationism: The Normativity of Immigrant Integration Research’, University Federico II (Naples), March 30-31, 2023.

Workshop: The Governance of Immigrant Integration: Critical Perspectives, University of Neuchâtel, February 9, 2023.

10th Doctoral Seminar of the Centre of Migration Law (CDM): ‘Respecting the Values of the Constitution: Integration in the Community of Value(s)’, Centre Loewenberg, October 13-14, 2022.

ECPR General Conference: ‘Respecting the Values of the Constitution: Integration in the Community of Value(s)’, University of Innsbruck (online), August 22-26, 2022.

5th Neuchâtel Graduate Conference of Migration and Mobility Studies: ‘Respecting the Values of the Constitution: Integrationism in the Community of Value(s)’, University of Neuchâtel, July 7-8, 2022.

19th IMISCOE Annual Conference: Organizing and Chairing the Panel ‘Problematizing Integration Discourses in Policy and Research’, University of Oslo, June 29 – July 1, 2022.

IMISCOE Standing Committee Reflexivities in Migration Studies PhD Peer Feedback Session: ‘Respecting the Values of the Constitution: Integrationism in the Community of Value(s)’ (online), May 27, 2022.

nccr on the move Research Day: ‘Respecting the Values of the Constitution:
Integrationism in the Community of Value(s)’, University of Neuchâtel, May 25, 2022. Discussant: Anna Korteweg.

nccr on the move Research Day: ‘Respecting the Values of the Constitution: Genealogy of an Integration Requirement’, University of Neuchâtel, January 28, 2022. Discussant: Stefanie Boulila.

Conference of the Swiss Association for Gender Studies: ‘Gendernativism and Liberal Subjecthood: The Cases of Forced Marriage and the Burqa Ban in Switzerland’, University of Zurich, November 26-27, 2021.

2nd Mirnet Conference “New Dynamics of East–West Migration and Migrant Integration Within Europe and Beyond”: ‘Respecting the Values of the Constitution: Integrationism and Boundary Liberalism in Switzerland’, University of Sussex, November 15-16, 2021.

9th Doctoral Seminar of the Centre of Migration Law (CDM): ‘Respecting the Values of the Constitution: Integrationism and Boundary Liberalism in Switzerland’, Schloss Münchenwiler, September 2-3, 2021.

15th ESA Conference: ‘Integrationism and Boundary Liberalism in Switzerland’, Barcelona (online), August 31 – September 3, 2021.

15th ESA Conference: Chairing two panel sessions by the ‘RN35 - Sociology of Migration’: The Reordering of Borders and Mobilities and Claiming rights, changing politics, redefining citizenship, Barcelona (online), August 31 – September 3, 2021.

18th IMISCOE Annual Conference: ‘Integrationism and Boundary Liberalism in Switzerland’, Luxembourg (online), July 7-9, 2021.

4th Neuchâtel Graduate Conference of Migration and Mobility Studies: ‘Integrationism and Boundary Liberalism in Switzerland’, University of Neuchâtel (online), July 1-2, 2021.

nccr on the move Research Day: ‘Integrationism and Boundary Liberalism in Switzerland’, University of Neuchâtel, May 7, 2021. Discussant: Saskia Bonjour.

IMISCOE PhD Led Workshop on Norms and Values: ‘Integrationism and Boundary Liberalism in Switzerland’, Malmö University (online), April 28-29, 2021.

Conference: The Moral Economies of Knowledge Production on Migration: Conflicts, Values, Positionalities (online): ‘In the Name of Liberalism? Respecting the Values of the Constitution, Integrationism and Boundary Liberalism in Switzerland’, IMIS, University of Osnabrück, December 2-4, 2020.

17th IMISCOE Annual Conference (online): ‘Gender Nationalism and the (Il)liberal State: The Cases of the ‘Burqa Ban’ and ‘Forced Marriage’ in Switzerland’, July 1-2, 2020.

nccr on the move Research Day: ‘Gender Nationalism and the Liberal State: The Cases of the ‘Burqa Ban’ and ‘Forced Marriage’ in Switzerland’, University of Neuchâtel, January 2020. Discussant: Saskia Bonjour.

RESPOND Conference: ‘Responsibility-sharing in refugee protection: Lessons from climate policy’, Newnham College, Cambridge, October 2019.

3rd Neuchâtel Graduate Conference of Migration and Mobility Studies: ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibilities in Asylum Policy’, University of Neuchâtel, September 2019.

nccr on the move Interdisciplinary Workshop: Discrimination in Citizenship Policy and its Implementation: ‘Ius Sanguinis, Soli, Doni, Nexi: Citizenship According to Which Normative Principle(s)?’, University of Neuchâtel, June 2019.

[selection]

Tagesanzeiger, 26.10.2025. Claudio Zanetti gründet Verein – Experte warnt vor «verschwörungs­theoretischen Ansichten»

Radio Bern, 24.03.2025. Was ist bekannt über Staatsverweigerer*innen in der Schweiz?

SRF Sternstunde Philosophie, 08.12.2024. Selbst schuld! Wie weit reicht Eigenverantwortung?

Nau.ch, 23.05.2024. Warum es die Demokratie-Initiative braucht.

Tagesanzeiger, 23.05.2023. Initiative «Für ein modernes Bürgerrecht»: Erleichterte Einbürgerung soll nach fünf Jahren möglich werden.

Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 22.02.2021. Liberale müssen die Vollverschleierung aushalten.

SRF Sternstunde Philosophie, 21.06.2020. Jung gegen Alt? Der philosophische Stammtisch.

Babanews, 12.02.2020. Ausländerstimmrecht – «Macht ist etwas, das man nicht gern teilt».