After having held several senior positions at universities in Europe and North America, in 1996 Lithman was appointed Director of the Research Unit on International Migration and Ethnic Relations at the University of Bergen, Norway, IMER N/B. He has also been appointed professor of sociology at the same university. In the spring term of 2000, he was made a Killam Fellow, nominated by the University of Calgary, Canada. The same year, he was appointed International Associate at the Centre for Community and Urban Studies, Goldsmiths College, London. Lithman has lectured widely internationally, and some of his international engagement is also expressed in his position within the Metropolis network, where he is a member of the international steering committee. He was scientifically responsible for its annual international conference in Oslo in 2002. He has done field work in Sweden, Canada, and Peru, as well as various shorter field trips in European, Asian and African countries. Lithman has also had a variety of international and national consulting tasks. He is also engaged in a variety of international scholarly associations and other network activities.

Lithman's research includes a variety of concerns related to international migration and ethnic relations, Aboriginal and First Nations (Indians) issues, development theory, natural resource issues, popular culture and culture theory, incl. sports.

A full bio of Dr. Litchman is available at his website