Dr. Irene Pañeda Fernández
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Research Fellow of the Research Department
Irene Pañeda Fernández joined the WZB's unit of Migration, Integration and Transnationalization in September 2021. She is project coordinator of the TRANSMIT project where she investigates migration aspirations and decisions in West Africa.
She obtained her Ph.D. in Social and Political Sciences from the European University Institute in January 2022. Her wider research interests lie in the broad themes of inequality and migration. Within the first theme, she has focused specifically on understanding when and why people come to oppose large income disparities. Within the second, she works on understanding the determinants of migration aspirations as well as attitudes toward immigrants and refugees.
Research fields
Migration, Integration, and Intercultural Conflicts | Social Science Research Methods | Welfare State and Social Inequality
Selected Publications
Wzbaktiv
2026
Articles in reviewed journals
Meierrieks, Daniel/Pañeda-Fernández, Irene (2026): "Do Climate Conditions in Origin Shape Return Migration Intentions? Evidence From West Africans in Germany". In: International Migration, Vol. 64, No. 3, S. 1-16.
Pañeda-Fernández, Irene/Meierrieks, Daniel (2026): "Climate Disasters and Individual Migration Aspirations. Evidence from Senegal and the Gambia". In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol. 52, No. 3, S. 532-558. (vorab online publiziert 22.04.2025)
WZB discussion papers / working papers
Pañeda-Fernández, Irene (2026): The Gendered Cost of Staying. How Gender Inequality Increases Female Migration. WZB Discussion Paper SP VI 2026-102. Berlin: WZB.
2025
Articles in non-reviewed journals
Meierrieks, Daniel/
Pañeda-Fernández, Irene (2025): "Klimakrise und Migration. Zukunftsentscheidungen von Westafrikanern in Deutschland". In: WZB-Mitteilungen, H. 2=Nr. 188, S. 10-14.
Pañeda-Fernández, Irene (2025): "Handfeste Gründe. Geschlechtsspezifische Gewalt und Migrationsabsichten von Frauen in Afrika". In: WZB-Mitteilungen, H. 2=Nr. 188, S. 15-18.
Stier, Julia/Pañeda-Fernández, Irene (2025): "Die Wahrnehmung von Erfolg. Migration folgt nicht nur wirtschaftlichen Kriterien". In: WZB-Mitteilungen, H. 2=Nr. 188, S. 6-9.
Articles in reviewed journals
Pañeda-Fernández, Irene/Kamphorst, Jonne/van de Rijt, Arnout/Battu, Balaraju (2025): "The Relevance of Meritocratic Beliefs for Redistributive Preferences Increases with Income". In: Social Science Research, Vol. 134, Article 103294, S. 1-12.
Pañeda-Fernández, Irene/Meierrieks, Daniel (2025): "Climate disasters and individual migration aspirations: evidence from Senegal and the Gambia". In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, advance access, 22.04.2025, online: https://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2025.2493303.
WZB discussion papers / working papers
Meierrieks, Daniel/
Pañeda-Fernández, Irene (2025): Do Climate Change and Climate Disasters at Home Shape Return Migration Intentions? Evidence from a Survey of West Africans in Germany. WZB Discussion Paper SP VI 2025-101r. Berlin: WZB. (revised August 2025)
2024
Articles in non-reviewed journals
Paneda Fernández, Irene (2024): "Lehrers Brille. Ein spanisches Schulexperiment zeigt, dass eben nicht nur Leistung zählt". In: WZB-Mitteilungen, H. 3=Nr. 185, S. 13-16.
Articles in reviewed journals
Gil-Hernández, Carlos J./Pañeda-Fernández, Irene/Salazar, Leire/Castaño Muñoz, Jonatan (2024): "Teacher Bias in Assessments by Student Ascribed Status. A Factorial Experiment on Discrimination in Education". In: Sociological Science, Vol. 11, S. 743-776.
WZB discussion papers / working papers
Gil-Hernandez, Carlos J./Pañeda-Fernández, Irene/Salazar, Leire/Castaño Muñoz, Jonatan (2024): Teacher Bias in Assessments by Student Ascribed Status. A Factorial Experiment on Discrimination and Cultural Reproduction. JRC Working Papers Series on Social Classes in the Digital Age 2024/02. Seville: European Commission - Joint Research Centre (JRC).
Paneda-Fernández, Irene/Meierrieks, Daniel (2024): Exposure to Climate Disasters and Individual Migration Aspirations. Evidence from Senegal and the Gambia. WZB Discussion Paper SP VI 2024-101. Berlin: WZB.
2022
Articles in reviewed journals
Pañeda-Fernández, Irene (2022): "Natural Disasters and Preferences for Redistribution. The Impact of Collective and Abrupt Disruptions". In: European Sociological Review, Vol. 38, No. 4, S. 575–589. (vorab online publiziert 18.12.2021)