Major success for migration research in Osnabrück: DFG approves a new Collaborative Research Center at the University

[24.11.2023] It is an outstanding recognition of the achievements of migration research in Osnabrück: the German Research Foundation (DFG) has selected the proposal to establish the Collaborative Research Center "Production of Migration" at the University of Osnabrück for funding. The research strength of the location and the innovative concept of the network of 17 sub-project leaders from Osnabrück, Berlin/Potsdam, Flensburg, Frankfurt am Main and Münster were convincing. Osnabrück University will receive around 8.3 million euros to implement the project for the first funding phase until the end of 2027. Press release

Welcoming the new IMIB students

[24.10.2023] On Monday, Oct. 23, IMIS director Helen Schwenken welcomed 45 new students to the interdisciplinary Master program "International Migration and Intercultural Relations" (IMIB) and five students to the place-based European Master in Migration Studies (EuMIGS). The students bring diverse subject expertise, professional skills, and regional knowledge. IMIS is looking forward to teaching and research as well as exchange with the "IMIBs" and "Eumigs"!

IMIS Workshop on Camp Studies: Redefining Borders and Exploring Solidarity and Resistance

[29.12.2023]: The IMIS cordially invites you to its workshop "Camp Studies: Redefining Borders and Exploring Solidarity and Resistance" which will take place on December 6th, 2023 (4-6 pm CET) and December 7th, 2023 (9 am-12 noon CET) at Osnabrück University, IMIS, Seminarstr. 19, 49074 Osnabrück and online. The workshop is organized and hosted by IMIS member Dr. Nese Özgen and promises insightful discussions and collaborative exploration into refugee camps. Bringing scholars and activists with diverse interdisciplinary backgrounds and experiences together, the workshop focuses on refugee camps as multifaceted spaces, encompassing forms of segregation and control, yet also serving as microcosms where social and solidarity networks and forms of resistance emerge. See further details and workshop agenda

Winter term 2023/24: Lecture series of the Master's program "International Migration and Intercultural Relations" (IMIB)

[23.10.2023] IIn the winter semester 2023/24, IMIS invites you to its annual lecture series of the Master's program "International Migration and Intercultural Relations" (IMIB); this time under the title "Citizenship and Mobility. Two Entangled Sides of a Segmented Order?". Some lectures of the lecture series will take place in cooperation with the English-language joint master program EuMIGS. In addition, ongoing projects at IMIS will be presented and much more. For more information, see the program.

IMIS guest lectures in the winter term 2023/24

[7.11.2023] During the winter term 2023/24, there will be three evening guest lectures at IMIS under the title "Spaces of Confinement, Spaces of Contestation": On November 14, Prof. Dr. Amade M'charek, University of Amsterdam, will talk about "Trailing Vital Elements: Attending to Migrant Death and the Possibilities for Life", followed on December 6 by a lecture of Dr. Nese Özgen (IMIS) and others on "Refugee Camps: Redefining Borders and Resistance". On January 9, Isabelle Pooth, Crew Member of the Sea-Eye 4, will be our guest and talk about "A Sea of Struggle: Civil Rescue at Sea in the Central Mediterranean" together with Dr. Maurice Stierl (IMIS).

The lectures will take place in room 15/E16, Seminarstr. 20, 49074 Osnabrück. Program

Journal of Migration Studies: issue 2/2023 online now

[29.9.2023] Vol. 2/2023 of the Journal of Migration Studies (ZMF) is online now: It comprises five essays and two discussion papers from different disciplines. The new journal is a freely accessible open access journal and is published twice a year. All contributions are subject to a review process for quality assurance. The journal offers a forum for the scolarly examination of the background and conditions of spatial movements of people in the past and present as well as of social change induced by migration processes in contexts of origin, transit and destination. read more

Out now: IMIS Working Paper on the term 'Gastarbeiter' - 'Guest Worker'

[20.9.2023] Out now: New IMIS Working Paper on the term 'Gastarbeiter' - 'Guest Worker': Rass, Christoph (2023): ‘Gastarbeiter’ – ‘Guest Worker’. Translating a Keyword in Migration Politics. IMIS Working Paper 17, Institut für Migrationsforschung und Interkulturelle Studien (IMIS) der Universität Osnabrück. Osnabrück: IMIS. -
The German expression ‘Gastarbeiter’ is currently a loanword, transliteration, or claque in about 30 languages. Historically, it refers to migrants who moved through state-run recruitment systems designed to organize a temporary labor transfer between nation-states. Besides its significance as a process-generated category of past migration regimes and discourses, the concept has morphed into a ubiquitous descriptive and analytical term, frequently used in academic text, policy-making, and the media. - IMIS Working Paper 17 can be downloaded here: https://osnadocs.ub.uni-osnabrueck.de/handle/urn:nbn:de:gbv:700-201903081236
See all IMIS Working Papers

Isabell Diekmann receives Augsburg Scientific Award 2023

[24.8.2023] The renowned Augsburg Science Award for Intercultural Studies 2023 goes to long-time IMIS member Dr Isabell Diekmann from Bielefeld University for her dissertation on anti-Muslim prejudice. Her book "Muslim*innen- und Islamfeindlichkeit" provides a differentiated consideration of prejudices against people and religion and is available open access. Dr Isabell Diekmann was a research associate at IMIS from 2017 to 2021.

see press release (in German)

Scientific perspectives on the reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS)

[28.6.23] The current reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) aims to fundamentally tighten the current border regime. On Tuesday, 4 July 2023, we discussed these developments from an academic perspective and reflect on them in light of past research: Dr Bernd Kasparek (HU Berlin) gave an overview of the reform and placed it in the European policy context. Dr. Inken Bartels (IMIS) discussed the planned expansion of "safe third countries" with a view to the situation in Tunisia and Dr. Mert Pekşen (IMIS) analysed the reform against the background of experiences with the EU-Turkey deal.

The event took place hybrid in room 11/211 (Schloss), Osnabrück University and via StudIP.