Mikal Woldu is a Postdoctoral Researcher on the Pan-African frontiers and identities project at SOAS, University of London. Her PhD, from the Department of Anthropology at SOAS, examined the ways in which experiences of settlement and organising among Eritrean migrant communities in London and Milan were shaped by changing political dynamics at the national, transnational and supranational levels over time. Using a cross-national and intergenerational approach, she analysed the complexities and heterogeneity of experiences among migrants from the same country of origin within and across two countries over time. 

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Prior to joining SOAS, Mikal worked in the third sector, with a focus on developing mental health support for young asylum seekers and refugees through a trauma-informed and culturally relevant approach. She also worked as a consultant for Shabaka, a diaspora-focused research consultancy.  

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Her current research examines the concept of Pan-Africanism through the lens and experiences of second-generation Africans in the UK. The project seeks to highlight the extent to which political dynamics at local, national and supranational levels contribute to specific formulations of identities that are situationally driven, and continuously shifting between specific ethnic and cultural references, and a broader Black and pan-African socio-cultural landscape.