Dr Fiona Ferbrache

Prior to joining Keble College, Fiona undertook postgraduate studies in Social Science (Open University) and Human Geography (University of Exeter), and completed her Ph.D. at the University of Plymouth. During her doctorate, Fiona carried out research in South West France and was affiliated with Université Toulouse II - Le Mirail.

Connecting her academic interests with a wider audience, Fiona is news editor for Geography Directions: an associated internet site for RGS-IBG Journals and Wiley-Blackwell's Geography Compass.

Fiona's research interests lie broadly within mobilities, in the context of Europe and the European Union (EU); and relations between certain forms of mobility and sociologies of European integration. Focusing on intra-EU migration, her thesis explores what it means for EU citizens to move from one member state to live in another; a study that was grounded in the experiences of Britons living in part of South West France. Through this work, Fiona has also contributed to analysis of British immigrants in France, with emphasis on those living in both urban and rural areas.

Evolving a more complex analysis of corporeal mobility in Europe, Fiona is now developing research that recognises the ways in which human mobility is entangled with non-human and technological objects that actually move people. Working across the fields of transport studies, mobilities and sociologies of European integration, Dr Ferbrache's project focuses on the InterRail scheme to explore geographies of rail-passenger mobility, and how these relate to building a single European rail area, and "ever closer union among the peoples of Europe". Fiona is currently developing this work at Oxford's Transport Studies Unit.

Fiona is Fellow of Keble College where she contributes to undergraduate teaching for the Preliminary Examination and Final Honours School. Her main teaching aim is embedded within the University of Oxford's vision for tutorials: to develop students' ability to think and act like professionals in geography.