dr. M. Scholten (Melle)

I am a Lecturer at the University of Twente's Department of Public Administration. I earned my PhD from the University of Virginia in 2025. My main research interest is the international and comparative political economy of migration and labor. 

For more information see the Research and Education tabs above, or visit my webpage at https://mellescholten.github.io/ 

Organisations

I have published in top journals in political science, international affairs, and public administration, such as World Politics, International Studies Quarterly, European Union Politics, Political Science Research & Methods, and the Journal of Common Market Studies. My first book is currently under contract with Cambridge University Press. My research can be roughly grouped into three categories. 

My main research interest is the political economy of migration. In my dissertation, I examined how international migration affects countries of origin. My current research focusses predominantly on how and why migration affects global politics. My secondary research interests are Open Economy Politics and quantitative methods of causal inference. 

You can find out more about my current research in progress here: https://mellescholten.github.io/pages/research.html and you can see all my published work by visiting https://mellescholten.github.io/pages/publications.html. 

Publications

Research profiles

I've taught at the University of Groningen, the University of Virginia, and Mary Baldwin University prior to coming to the University of Twente. My teaching evaluations highlight the creation of a safe, inclusive environment, where everyone feels empowered to ask questions and engage the material and their instructor critically as a particular strength of mine. Students have also appreciated my innovative and hands-on teaching methods, including applied simulation games and flipped classroom assignments. In recognition of the quality of my teaching, I received the Allison J. Melloy Award for Excellence in Teaching from the University of Virginia’s Department of Politics in 2023.

You can find an overview of my syllabi on my website https://mellescholten.github.io/pages/teaching.html

I am proud of my identity as a first-generation student and aim to support other first-generation students and academics in my work. For more information, see https://mellescholten.github.io/pages/advocacy.html

Affiliated study programs

Courses academic year 2025/2026

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Address

Organisations