Director of the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IEFSEM – BAS)
Associate Professor at Balkan Ethnology Department
Contact Information:
E: mila.maeva@iefem.bas.bg; mila_maeva@yahoo.co.uk
W: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1708-2631
https://baos.academia.edu/MilaMaeva
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mila_Maeva
Researcher Profile
Bionote: Mila Maeva, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Balkan Ethnology Department of the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and since April 2025, she has served as Director of the Institute. Her research interests include migration, mobility, disasters, social inclusion, and ethnocultural identities. Her scholarly work focuses especially on migrations from Bulgaria, migrant communities abroad, Turks in Turkey, and the cultural and social consequences of mobility in contemporary society.
She obtained her PhD in Ethnology from the Ethnographic Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Over the years, she has developed extensive academic, teaching, and expert experience through research, project coordination, higher education teaching, and participation in international scholarly networks. She has held specialisations and research appointments at Ege University, the University of Warwick, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Manchester, and FAFO in Oslo, Norway.
Mila Maeva has been a lecturer at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, UNWE, Varna University of Management, and a number of European universities within Erasmus programmes. She has coordinated and participated in numerous national and international research projects in the fields of migration, cultural heritage, disasters, demographic processes, and digital research infrastructures. She is also an active organiser of international scholarly forums, including the conference series Between the Worlds.
Selected Publications:
Books:
- Tzaneva, E., M. Maeva, Y. Erolova (eds.). Disasters and Quality of Life. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2023.
- Tsaneva, E, Maeva, M, Nakova, A, Nacheva, I, Erolova, Y, Kanev, St. 2024. The COVID-19 Challenge: Local Attitudes and Reactions (Impressions from the Ethnographic Field). BAS Publishing House “Prof. M. Drinov”.
- Nedelcheva, T., Nakova, A., Keliyan, M., Maeva, M., Erolova, Y., Petkova, K., Hristova, M., Hristova, K. 2021. Refugees in the Representations of Bulgarian Citizens: Fears, Understanding, Empathy. Издателство на БАН “Проф. М. Дринов”.
- Bulgarian Immigrants in England – Past and Present. Sofia: Paradigma, 2017.
- Bulgarian Turks Emigrants in Turkey (Culture and Identity). Sofia: IMIR, 2006.
Selected Edited volumes:
- Maeva, M., C. Duchene-Lacroix, N. Dimitrova, and T. Matanova (eds.). Territorialities of Multilocality. Sofia: IEFSEM-BAS & Paradigma, 2024
- Maeva, M., M. Slavkova, and M. Hristova (eds.). Between the Worlds of Old and New Homes. Vol. 5. Sofia: IEFSEM-BAS & Paradigma, 2023.
Selected articles:
- Maeva, M. 2024. “Territory, Multilocality, and Emotions among Bulgarian Emigrants or Imaginary Multi-Locality.” In Territorialities of Multilocality, 94–109.
- Maeva, M. 2024. “Transnationalism and Elderly Left Behind in Bulgaria.” In Return Migration and its Consequences in Southeast Europe. Peter Lang.
- Maeva, M. 2023. “Hybridisation of Social Care for the Left Behind in Bulgaria.” In Between the Worlds of Old and New Homes.
- Maeva, M. 2023. “Local Communities’ Ways for Overcoming a Disaster and Crisis.” Comparative Southeast European Studies, 71(1).
- Maeva, M, Hristov, P. 2023. Labour Migration to Bulgaria. Hristov, P., V. Periklieva, I. Markov, D. Pileva (eds.) Coming to (and Staying in) the Poorest Country in EU., Cambridge Scholar Publishing.
- Maeva, M., and Y. Erolova. 2023. “Bulgarian Roma at the Dawn of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Social Sciences, 12(4).
- Maeva, M. 2022. “Family Well-Being During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Bulgaria.” Psychological Research (in the Balkans) Journal, 25(2).
- Maeva, M. 2017. “UK Policy Towards Bulgarians and Stereotypes about Them since 1989.” Euxeinos, 22.
Selected Projects:
- Volunteering in Bulgaria – History, Causes and Recommendations (Heroes) (2023–2027), funded by the National Science Fund — project leader.
- Taming the European Leviathan: The Legacy of Post-War Medicine and the Common Good (2020–2025), EU Horizon 2020 ERC Synergy Grant — research assistant in the Bulgarian team.
- Still in Bulgaria. Cultural and Social Effects of Labour Mobility and Migration on Bulgarian Society (1990–2019) (2019–2023), funded by BNSF — project leader.
- Bulgarians in Ural and Siberia during 20th–21st Century: History, Culture and Identity (2019–2022), funded by NSF — project coordinator.
- Cultural Integration and Adaptation of Immigrants in Bulgaria (2017–2022), funded by NSF — project coordinator.
- Local Disasters and Quality of Life: Cultural Strategies to Overcome Natural, Technological and Biological Disasters (2017–2022), funded by NSF — scientific coordinator.
- National Interdisciplinary Research Infrastructure Bulgarian Language and Cultural Heritage Resources and Technologies, Integrated within the European Infrastructures CLARIN and DARIAH (CLaDA-BG) (2018–2023) — coordinator for IEFSEM-BAS.
Professional Memberships and Editorial Activities:
Mila Maeva is a member of several professional associations, including ASEEES, EASA, InASEA, and the Bulgarian Studies Association. She is also the editor-in-chief of the Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies and a member of the editorial boards of Bulgarska Etnologia and Academica Balkanica.
For further information, please see Mila Maeva`s curriculum vitae.