News
All EuMIGS Lectures 2022 are now online!
You can now (re)watch all recordings of the eight lectures that were part of the EuMIGS Lecture Series 2022 on migration policy and refugee reception in the (trans-) local context.
Focusing on policies and practices of refugee reception in different national contexts in Europe from a comparative perspective, speakers of the lecture series explored differences and similarities in refugee reception across Europe and interrogated how different welfare and citizenship regimes influence migration policy and reception practices.
You can find the recorded lectures on the EuMIGS website or the EuMIGS YouTube channel.
EuMIGS selected for Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership
31 January 2023
The European Master in Migration Studies (EuMIGS) has officially been selected for an Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership (KA220-HED) by the European Commission, receiving a grant in the total amount of 400.000 Euros.
In addition to University of Osnabrück, Germany as the applicant organization, the project involves six other EuMIGS partners from five European countries: Universidade da Coruña, Spain; University of Liège, Belgium; Linköping University and Malmö University, Sweden; Université de Neuchâtel, Switzerland; and Paris Lodron University, Salzburg, Austria.
As part of the Erasmus+ project, EuMIGS double-degree students will receive international top-level training in migration studies and get insights into migration realities in other countries. The exchange program will give them the opportunity to create research networks and make connections to senior scholars and research institutes as well as migration practitioners in other countries. Additionally, thanks to the funding provided through Erasmus+ several hundred master students will take part in virtual and blended teaching events over the next three years.
The European Master in Migration Studies (EuMIGS) is a network of high-level institutes for migration research and their respective master programs. The network regularly exchanges students and provides them with the opportunity to obtain double master degrees in the field of migration studies. Moreover, it fosters structures of cooperation, knowledge exchange, and student and teaching mobility. The Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership Project will significantly improve the capacity of the network to strengthen the strategic and structured cooperation between the EuMIGS partners through the development of innovative teaching methods, including transnational online, blended and face-to-face classes. The network will develop new teaching tools and promote teachers’ exchanges between EuMIGS partner universities and support the long-lasting insertion of international collaboration and exchange into the curricula of the seven participating master programs.
The Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership project runs between 01.09.2022 and 31.08.2025 and will be coordinated by Prof. Dr. Andreas Pott, Dr. Jens Schneider, and Dr. Mert Pekşen at the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS) at the University of Osnabrück.
EuMIGS Double Degree cohort 2022-2023 meets in Neuchâtel
17 November 2022
Welcome to Switzerland! 10 students of the double degree cohort 2022-2023 and the EuMIGS coordinators of the different partner institutes met in Neuchâtel for three days in November to kick-off the second year abroad.
In addition to many interesting discussions on why and how to study migration-related topics in today's world of intersecting crises, we gained insight into the public debate on migration in Switzerland through the film "Welcome to Switzerland" by Sabine Gisiger, and learned about the colonial past of the town of Neuchâtel during a walking tour.
EuMIGS Double Degree students move between seven partner universities. The kick-off meeting is the first opportunity for them to get to meet in person.
EuMIGS Double Degree students at IMISCOE Conference 2022
01 July 2022
Eight EuMIGS double degree students presented their master thesis at the IMISCOE Annual Conference in Oslo, the largest hub for migration research in Europe.
Two panels at the conference were dedicated exclusively to the EuMIGS master theses. In an environment where many established researchers come together to share their work, the critical perspectives of these young migration scholars highlighted current and future challenges related to migration and the role that research can play in addressing them.
The EuMIGS students who presented their theses are currently finishing their EuMIGS double degree journey, which has taken them to study at two different European universities over the last two years and during the duration of their master programme.
Congratulations to Agnes, Beatriz, Gesa, Kaya, Lea, Marielena, Silja and Tobias! Hopefully, some of you will pursue your promissing research further, or otherwise continue to contribute to public debates linked to migration, equality and social justice.
Fourth cohort meets in Malmö
27 October 2021
From 20 to 22 of October 2021, the fourth cohort of EuMIGS Double Degree students and the coordinators of the different partner institutes met in Malmö.
This year, 15 Double Degree students moved between five European universities. The kick-off meeting brought students and coordinators from all EuMIGS Double Degree partner institutes together to meet in person, exchange experiences and ideas for how to develop the Double Degree in the future, and discuss research topics for the master theses.
To our fourth cohort of EuMIGS students, we wish you a good start in your second year and all the best for your studies!
The EuMIGS Double Degree has 2 new partners!
26 August 2021
EuMIGS at the 2021 IMISCOE Conference
12 July 2021
This year’s EuMIGS panel at the annual IMISCOE conference was dedicated to the experiences and research of those involved in the first EuMIGS joint seminar on international student migration (ISM).
The conference, which was supposed to be held in Luxembourg, again had to take place online due to the Covid pandemic. The EUMIGS panel took place in the evening of the second conference day.
The panel was opened by the coordinators of the seminar, Sophie Hinger and Marcel Paul, from Osnabrück University. They shared some of the challenges and discoveries tied to coordinating a research-seminar with students and lecturers from 6 different European countries.
The coordinators’ intervention was followed by presentations of participants of the seminar. The students reflected on the experience of taking part in the seminar and collaborating with international peers on research projects in a virtual way. They furthermore presented the outcomes of their research projects.
Kyoko Shinozaki from Salzburg University, came next: she shortly reflected on the way she experienced the seminar as an external lecturer. She highlighted that this way of working together creates a translocal and transnational social space of mobility, in which classical distinctions tied to physical ISM, such as ‘home’ and ‘host’ institutions, are no longer valid.
Together with the two renowned experts on international student migration Nicolai Netz and Christof van Mol, the participants of the panel finally discussed whether the digitalisation of ISM will be rather a complement to ISM in the future or whether such formats will lose significance after the pandemic.
The students were really happy with their participation in the conference. For example, Line Huter, currently Double Degree student at Osnabrück University, commented that “it was really interesting to be able to present our work in front of researchers, to hear the work of the other groups and the experiences of other conference members regarding the digital course on ISM. I also really enjoyed the exchange of views between teacher, researcher and student.”
Her colleague, Silja Gerhard, student from Neuchatel University added: “It was a great opportunity to participate at the Imiscoe conference. I really enjoyed the PhD activity on Wednesday because it was very interactive but also the other presentations were very stimulating. However, my personal highlight was our presentation on Thursday, followed by an interesting discussion. I am looking forward to the next conference and I can recommend this experience to everyone.”
EuMIGS launched lecture series
03 March 2021
In spring 2021, EuMIGS launched a series of public online lectures organized by the different partner institutes. If you missed a lecture, you can watch the recording on our website or on the EuMIGS YouTube channel.
First get-together with the new EuMIGS cohort
01 March 2021
We are happy to welcome our eighteen new EuMIGS Double Degree students! They are the fourth cohort to embark on the EuMIGS Double Degree adventure.
Today, the newly selected EuMIGS cohort and the coordinators met in a first online get-together. This was an opportunity for the students to get to know not only the local coordinators at their future host institute but also other EuMIGS students, including some future classmates.
Starting from September 2021, five of them will move to Osnabrück, five to A Coruña, five to Linköping, two to Neuchâtel, and one to Malmö.
Student initiative to connect between migration and master students
18 January 2021
Migration students in the Netherlands have launched an initiative to connect with other migration students globally. For this purpose, they created a facebook group as a platform to share information about migration-related events, jobs, and news.
Hoping that this excellent initiative will reach many interested migration students, we share their message here:
We are a group of students studying the governance of migration at different universities in the Netherlands. We are convinced that migration is an issue that needs to be approached globally - in every sense of the word. We believe that to understand, analyse and advise on issues of migration, it is necessary to work transnationally, on different levels of governance and across various academic disciplines. Therefore, we think it would be very useful and fun to develop a network to learn from each other and grow together! Find us on Facebook >>https://www.facebook.com/groups/internationalnetworkforstudentsofmigrationstudies <<
This network is created by students for students. It is intended as a contact point for prospective students, as a platform to further one’s studies through innovative and practical learning as well as through own initiatives, and to offer guidance for the transition into the working world. It serves as a platform to connect with each other, share knowledge, information and (digital) events, as well as internship/research assistant/traineeship/PhD/job vacancies.
The connection to other universities and programs and the close collaboration with their students is the foundation of this network. Are you member of a student board or a student representative interested in collaborating? Or would you like to join our international communications team to make this a vibrant and lively community and bring your ideas to this project? Then send an e-mail to studentboard.gmdcentre.nl
EuMIGS Double Degree coordination moves to Neuchâtel
13 January 2021
Starting from January 2021, the coordination of the EuMIGS Double Degree Programme is taken over by Lisa Stalder from the Swiss Forum for Migration and Population Studies (SFM) at the University of Neuchâtel.
Her role is to coordinate the activities of the institutes who participate in the EuMIGS Double Degree Programme at all stages of students’ mobility. Lisa Stalder is also the person to get in touch with for general questions regarding the EuMIGS Double Degree Programme.
The Double Degree Programme was previously coordinated by the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS) at the University of Osnabrück. The rotation of the coordination between EuMIGS partner institutes aims to strengthen the non-hierarchical structure of the network and the greater involvement of all of its members.
Info-session EuMIGS double degree for IMIB students
26 November 2020
On November 25th the Institute for Migration and Intercultural Studies (IMIS) at the University of Osnabrück organized an exclusive Info-Session for first semester IMIB students interested in applying for the double degree programme.
Students had the opportunity to get to know academic and administrative staff involved in organising EuMIGS exchanges. They got the chance to talk to IMIS and EuMIGS alumni.
We thank you all IMIB students for attending the session and for your interest to join the growing EuMIGS community!
Info-session EuMIGS Double Degree
23 November 2020
On November 23rd the EuMIGS double degree partners held a joint webinar for students interested in participating in the EuMIGS double degree programme. Information on the double degree scheme as a whole and the partner institutes with their master programmes (including their research focus, course offer, application process) was presented. Participants had the opportunity to learn about the experience and exchange with EuMIGS alumni.
We thank you all for joining the meeting and for your interest to become new EuMIGS students!
Kick-off Meeting October 2020
31 October 2020
This year’s kick-off meeting took place online on the 2nd of October 2020. EuMIGS coordinators from all partner institutes as well as former EuMIGS students welcomed the new cohort of EuMIGS double degree students.
While it was a pity not to meet in person, the online format allowed to invite students from all EuMIGS double degree cohorts as well as those students embarking on a simple Erasmus exchange within the EuMIGS consortium. Despite the pandemic, twelve students have planned to go abroad through EuMIGS, two of them to obain a double degree.
After a presentation of the network, the profile of each partner institute and their respective master programmes, new and former double degree students presented themselves.
Former EuMIGS students shared their experiences and a short reflection about (working) life after EuMIGS. Students from the second double degree cohort presented a “hitchhiker’s guide to EuMIGS” from students to students. The aim of this guide is to provide new students with first-hand useful information to organize their stay abroad.
We thank you all for your participation and we look forward to a EuMIGS Kick-off in person next year!
Joint EuMIGS course on "International Student Migration" (ISM)
28 August 2020
The Corona-pandemic has not only forced universities to develop virtual teaching tools for their students, it has also put international student mobility and exchange into crisis: Some students got stuck at their host locations, others were forced to abandon their exchange stays. Many students who applied for mobility in the coming semester(s) have no guarantee that they will actually be allowed to go, some universities still only offer participation in online-courses. Also international teaching mobility has practically come to a halt.
At the same time, this crisis of mobility, in combination with the new experiences of virtual teaching and digital collaboration, offers a chance for raising international academic collaboration to new levels.
Through funding by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), a joint EuMIGS course on “international student migration” will be offered in the first quarter of 2021. In this course, students and researchers from 6 EuMIGS partner institutes (Neuchatel, Osnabrück, A Coruña, Salzburg, Linköping, Lyon) will work together.
The participating students will be introduced to the research field of “international student migration” (ISM) through a series of lectures by international experts on the topic and a joint discussion of key literature. Students will further conduct small research projects in collaboration with their international peers. The best projects will be selected for a presentation at the annual IMISCOE conference in July 2021 in Luxembourg.
EuMIGS is growing!
17 July 2020
In July 2020, a new Erasmus+ agreement was signed by a now enlarged consortium of twelve EuMIGS members. Five new partners have joined the network: Salzburg, Lyon, Nice, Rotterdam and Barcelona. From 2020/21 onwards, students enrolled at any of the EuMIGS institutes can now choose to spend up to one year at any of the eleven partner institutes in nine European countries. In addition, students from six EuMIGS institutes can participate in a joint course offer in 2021.
EuMIGS at the 2020 IMISCOE Conference
02 July 2020
EuMIGS students took part in the first online 17th IMISCOE annual conference on July 1 and 2, 2020. Like in the 16th annual IMISCOE conference in Malmö, a panel was dedicated to the work and experiences of EuMIGS double degree students.
Following an overview of all master thesis projects, Astrid Jessen and Irina Widmer who spent the second year of their masters at Malmö University, presented first results of their master theses, both of which addressed the micro-level experiences of refugees: Astrid researched age assessment experiences of former unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Germany; and Irina looked at Syrian refugees’ strategies for wellbeing in the settlement process in Switzerland. The students’ presentations were commented by Reinhard Schweitzer (Vienna) and Jens Schneider (Osnabrück).
The panel also gave insights into the experiences of international students’ mobility and research experiences in times of Covid-19. How did the pandemic and the lockdown affect their exchange stays and their research? How did they solve the special challenges involved?
While it was indeed a challenging year for being an international student, all agreed that they would have not liked to have missed it.
Second EuMIGS double degree cohort meets in A Coruna
29 May 2020
In November 2019, the second cohort of EuMIGS students met in A Coruña, Spain for a two-day get-together and field trip. On the first day, the teaching staff in international migrations at the University of A Coruña organised a round table on “Migration Trends in the Spanish and Galician Contexts”, followed by an exciting walking tour with a “migration lens” through the city. The second day was packed: after a morning round table on “Insights and Challenges of Migration Research in Europe” with the international guests from the other EuMIGS partner institutes, we visited Betanzos, a town shaped by the philantrophy of the first wave of Galician emigration to the Americas. In the afternoon, we met with ACCEM, an organization responsible for the reception of refugees in A Coruña.
And the cherry on top of it all: the culinary treasures of Galicia!
Second EuMIGS double degree cohort started
29 May 2020
In the academic year 2019/20, twelve students have enrolled in the EUMIGS Double Degree programme. Four students will spend their second Master year at the University of Osnabrück, four students have moved to the Swedish partner institutes (two to Malmö, and two to Linköping), three students will continue their studies in A Coruna, Spain and one Spanish student will move to the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland. Welcome!
EuMigs at the 2019 IMISCOE Annual Conference
The first EuMIGS cohort attended the 2019 Annual IMISCOE Conference “Understanding International Migration in the 21st Century: Conceptual and Methodological Approaches”, which took place from June 26 to 28, 2019 at Malmö University in Sweden. The four students presented their master theses in the framework of a special EuMIGS student panel that was held on the second day of the conference. Many senior scholars attended the panel and congratulated the EuMIGS students on their contributions. For the students, the participation in the conference was a unique opportunity to come together again and to experience an international conference setting: “It was a highlight to personally meet scholars that we only knew from the literature beforehand and to present our own work and receive such constructive and positive feedback”, the students said after the conference.
The first EuMIGS cohort: Ruben, Micha, Matilda and Antonio
Kick-off and "field-trip": EuMIGS double degree students meet in Brussels
22 November 2018
In November 2018 the first cohort of students enrolled in the EuMIGS Double Degree-Programme met in Brussels. During the field trip they were introduced into different aspects of migration that can be studied in Europe's capital: from EU-migration policies to labour market integration projects for migrants and refugees in Belgium and one of Brussel's - and Europe's - most diverse local communities. Much more than just a "field trip" the meeting served as a kick-off for the second year of their masters in Migration Studies that these students will spend at one of the EuMIGS partner institutes. It was the first time that they met each other as well as the coordinators of the EuMIGS-programme and the director of the IMISCOE-partner institute at Université de Liège who gave the group a tour through Molenbeek.
First EuMIGS get-together, 1st cohort. Photo: Jens Schneider
The first EuMIGS cohort and the coordinators from Osnabrück and Neuchatel
Photo: Ruben Torres
Program Launch on November 3, 2017
On Friday, 3 November 2017, the new European academic exchange programme European Master in Migration Studies (EuMIGS) was officially launched in the “Peace Hall” of the town hall of Osnabrück. Aim of the programme is to promote the mobility and cross-country learning of students and the exchange of teaching staff between eight high-level institutes of migration research and their respective master programmes. The new exchange programme is coordinated by the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS) at the University of Osnabrück.
In the presence of representatives from the partner universities, the Commissioner for Integration, Seda Rass-Turgut, and the Vice-President for Teaching of the University of Osnabrück, Professor Martina Blasberg-Kuhnke, welcomed the international guests, the members of IMIS, and the students of the local master programme International Migration and Intercultural Relations (IMIB). Both emphasised the self-obligation of both the city and the university in Osnabrück towards a better European understanding and praised the new programme as an important and innovative contribution to further internationalisation of the relations of Osnabrück with regard to research, education and to other European cities. Also, the co-ordinator of the European Research Network IMISCOE, Dr Peter Scholten (Erasmus University Rotterdam), and the director of IMIS, Professor Andreas Pott, highlighted the unusual dimension of the new programme and network and its relevance for the education of young scholars in the field of Migration Studies in Europe. EuMIGS is closely connected to IMISCOE that since more than 15 years has brought together the most important scholars and research institutes in the field of migration in Europe. Highlight of the kick-off event was the symbolic signing of a "Memorandum of Understanding” for the future co-operation by the vice-president of the University of Osnabrück and the international partners.
Signing the EuMIGS Memorandum of Understanding: Vice President of Osnabrueck University, Ms Prof. Dr. Martina Blasberg-Kuhnke. Photo: Elena Scholz, Osnabrück University
Jens Schneider launching the EuMIGS website. Photo: Elena Scholz, Osnabrück University
EuMIGS coordinators and supporters, from left to right: Peter Scholten, Director IMISCOE, NL / Antía Pérez-Caramés, A Coruña; E / Martina Blasberg-Kuhnke, UOS / Helen Schwenken, UOS / Gianni D'Amato, Neuchâtel, CH / Alissia Raziano, Liège, B / Jens Schneider, UOS / Seda Turgut-Rass, Commisioner for Integration, Osnabrück / Andreas Pott, UOS. Photo: Elena Scholz, Osnabrück University
Members of the new EuMIGS-Network are, currently, eight master programmes in seven European countries who come from Linköping and Malmö (Sweden), Copenhagen (Denmark), Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Liège (Belgium), Neuchâtel (Switzerland), A Coruña (Spain) und Osnabrück (Germany). Additional partners from Barcelona (Spain), Lyon (France) und Groningen (The Netherlands) are waiting to join at the next possible moment.
Centrepiece of the network is a Double Degree Programme between, at least, five participating universities. In this programme, the master students spend the respective second year of their studies at one of the partner master programmes in another country. Upon successfully finishing their studies, they will receive an attractive double degree from both, their home and host university. And also the teaching staff in the participating master programmes will enter into a regular exchange and give seminars and lectures at the partner programmes. Foreseen are also joint training activities for all EuMIGS-double degree students of the same cohort. The first exchange students of the European Master in Migration Studies are expected for Fall 2018.
