Events

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.

An overview of the accepted papers can be found here.

Interested parties can submit abstracts for the accepted panels/roundtables/workshops until 22 April 2024. It is also possible to submit an abstract for a poster.

The abstracts should refer to the content of the panel/workshop/roundtable and explain how interested parties would like to contribute to the discussion. Individual submissions will be selected by the chairs.

Notification of acceptance or rejection will be sent by the conference team by early May. Abstracts may not exceed 250 words.
Submission requirements : The title and chair of the panel/workshop/roundtable with the ID to which the abstract refers, an abstract of a maximum of 250 words, and (expected) attendance in person or online.

Posters: Posters should address specific topics or issues. Posters may be submitted by more than one person, but at least one person must attend the conference in person to present the poster during the session.
Submission requirements : Poster title, presenter, abstract of max. 250 words, five key words.

Abstracts for the second submission phase can be submitted until 22 April 2024 exclusively via ConfTool at the following link: https://www.conftool.pro/fluchtforschungskonferenz2024/

Conference languages are English and German. 

The conference will be held in Bonn, Germany, from 16 to 18 September 2024. It will start 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 stipends for refugees and (limited) financial support for applicants without institutional support, information on which is expected to be published separately on the conference website in early 2024.

The Conference is organised in cooperation with the German Network of Forced Migration Studies, the Verbundprojekt “Flucht- und Flüchtlingsforschung: Vernetzung und 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 organisation in Bonn is spearheaded by BICC (Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies) with the support of the Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, the University of Bonn, the Forum Internationale Wissenschaft and IDOS (German Institute for Development and Sustainability) as well as the Bonn Initiative on Displacement and Migration Research.

A list of FAQs can also be found on the FFVT website.