5th Conference of the German Network for Forced Migration Studies

Forced migration and displacement in the context of violent conflicts and natural disasters have been on the rise for years. At the same time, right-wing populist voices against immigration and people seeking protection are gaining attention and influence in many countries.

The 5th Conference of the German Network of Forced Migration Studies aims to shed light on the global, regional and local contexts of forced migration and displacement, including the causes and trends that force people into mobility, but also immobility. Contributions to the Conference may address a variety of issues, such as the geopolitical, economic, social and other factors that contribute to forced displacement worldwide. Case studies from different countries, regions and communities can show how different actors are responding to migration and what strategies have been developed to address the challenges of forced migration and displacement.

The Conference will also look at the challenges and obstacles faced by refugees and their host communities, as well as the positive impacts that immigration can have. These include issues of integration, social justice, access to education and adequate health care, as well as issues related to the protection of human rights. Gender-critical, queer and post/de-colonial perspectives are particularly welcome, as are reflections on ethical dimensions, research-reflective contributions and discourse-analytical approaches that illuminate the interrelationships between media, politics, civil society and academia. In addition, contributions may address the role of the media in producing discourses of forced migration and integration, how these influence policy and practice, and how academics position themselves in this regard. Finally, the Conference will look at best practices and innovative solutions that address global refugee movements, including initiatives and strategies from policy, civil society, education and research. In particular, the Conference aims to highlight the role of refugee organisations and their important role in the further development of the global refugee protection system to adequately take into account refugees and their perspectives. 

The conference is open to refugee and non-refugee researchers at all career levels, practitioners, students and interested parties. The submission process for this year's Refugee Research Conference is a two-step process. The first step was to submit papers for panels, workshops and roundtables. In the second submission phase, interested parties were able to submit abstracts for the accepted panels/roundtables/workshops. It was also possible to apply with an abstract for a poster.

An overview of the accepted panels, workshops and roundtables can be found here.

The second submission phase endet on 22 April 2024!
The conference team will be notified of the acceptance or rejection of contributions by the beginning of May.

To ConfTool: https://www.conftool.pro/fluchtforschungskonferenz2024/

Answers to further questions can be found in the Q&A section.

Information about the conference:

The conference languages will be English and German.

The conference will be held in Bonn, Germany, from 16 September to 18 September 2024. It will begin with a kick-off event in the early evening of 16 September 2024. The parallel sessions with panels, roundtables and workshops as well as poster presentations will take place on 17 and 18 September 2024. There will be scholarships for refugees and (limited) financial support for applicants without institutional support. More information will be available soon on this website.

The conference is organised in cooperation with the German Network for Forced Migration Studies, the joint project "Forced Migration and Refugee Studies: Networking and Knowledge Transfer” and the European Coalition of Migrants and Refugees (EU COMAR) and is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The local organisation is led by BICC (Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies) with the support of the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg–University of Applied Sciences, Bonn University, the Forum Internationale Wissenschaft and IDOS (German Institute for Development and Sustainability) as well as the Bonn Initiative on Displacement and Migration Research.