Established in 2015, this research network brings together scholars, policymakers and practitioners across Europe and beyond to provide a forum for debating current and emerging issues on European economic migration as well as fostering collaboration and expanding research opportunities.
In its first phase (2015-2018), the MICaRD network focussed on labour mobility within the EU and the impact on regional development in rural areas of both sending and receiving nations. The network events in Belfast, Belgrade, Warsaw and Lincoln provided a forum for debating a wide range of issues, aiming to build bridges across the disconnected geographies of migration research. A wide range of topics, theories and methodologies were covered, including integration, belonging and community cohesion; the challenges of doing research on migration in rural areas; mobility, spatiality and place; urban versus rural migration; depopulation, circular and temporary migration; gendered experiences of migration; entrepreneurial activities of migrant communities; and migration policy.
In its second phase (2019-2022), MICaRD aims to build on past achievements by consolidating and strengthening existing collaborations as well as forging new ties. The overarching theme of the second phase is ‘Community wellbeing and social inclusion in the context of migration and mobility’. This will underpin network activities in phase two.
Adopting an inter-disciplinary approach, this theme will be explored from a variety of perspectives: ranging from the level of individuals in the community and their wellbeing (How various aspects of community impact on the wellbeing of individuals?); the level of the wellbeing of the community as a whole (e.g. relationships, mobilities and interdependencies), as well as the context of policies and power within which communities prosper; and places where these dynamic and complex relationships take place. Of particular interest is the rural context. All these will be examined through a range of lens including social, political, economic and cultural; adopting global as well as local viewpoints, and discussing global issues from a local perspective.
If you would like more information and/or join the MICaRD network, contact Dr. Agnieszka Rydzik (arydzik@lincoln.ac.uk)
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Practice and Research Symposium: Social service responses to migration
Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece, 11-12 May 2023
Click here for the conference website: http://lncn.ac/migration
Click here for the programme: Programme – Micard Komotini 11-12 May 2023
This two-day symposium will discuss how social services recognise and respond to migration. Against a backdrop of conflict, Covid-19, anti-migration feeling and environmental crisis, it will exchange current practice and research about reducing the marginalisation of migrants and tackling inequalities in service provision.
The focus is on projects and services that increase well-being and reduce the social vulnerability faced by migrants, including in relation to community inclusion, domestic abuse, child protection, youth work, family services, poverty and emergency support, humanitarian aid, housing, disability assistance and social care. The event’s informal, interactive format is designed to help participants build new contacts, deepen their knowledge and receive input on their work.
Contributions from people using services, practitioners, activists and researchers are warmly welcome and can focus on any part of the world. Participation by migrants and migrant organisations is particularly encouraged. Presentations can cover practice or research projects, research findings, theoretical analysis or methodological reflections. Possible ideas include:
- Migrant understandings and experiences of using social services
- Groups, services and self-help networks created by people from migrant communities
- Improving access to social services by people from migrant communities, including challenging legal, policy, organisational and practice barriers
- Specialist projects, programmes and services for migrant groups
- Protests and campaigns to improve social service practice
- Intersectional, anti-racist and anti-oppressive approaches in practice with migrants
- Interventions to reduce harm and risk in countries of origin
- Migrant workforce in social services
- Transnational issues and cross-country co-operation in social services
- Collaboration between social services and other sectors
- Community work to address xenophobia and anti-migrant sentiment
- Responses by social services to rapid displacement
Registration for the conference is currently open. The deadline to register is 30 April 2023. Click here to register for the conference.
Financial support from the Regional Studies Association makes it possible to offer this event free of charge, including the welcome dinner, lunches and refreshments. Participants will need to cover their own travel and accommodation costs.
Timeline:
- 10 May – Welcome dinner
- 11-12 May – Conference
Komotini can be reached by bus or car from Thessaloniki (international airport) or Alexandroupoli (transit flight via Athens).
Symposium organisers:
Prof. Theano Kallinikaki, Department of Social Work, Democritus University of Thrace, thkallin@sw.duth.gr
Dr Michael Rasell, Institute of Educational Science, University of Innsbruck, michael.rasell@uibk.ac.at
Dr Agnieszka Rydzik, University of Lincoln, arydzik@lincoln.ac.uk
Information about the RSA Migration, Inter-Connectivity and Regional Development (MICaRD) network and past events can be found here.
PAST EVENTS
6th RSA MICaRD Research Network Symposium
Between 28-30th September, migration researchers from across the UK, Europe and beyond joined colleagues at the University of Lincoln (UK) for an inter-disciplinary migration conference “Hospitality, Community and Welcome: Researching working lives, representations and everyday realities of migrants” organised by the RSA Migration, Inter-Connectivity and Regional Development International Research Network (MICaRD).
Hosted by the Lincoln International Business School, the conference brought together over 50 researchers with a shared interest in exploring contemporary issues in migration and mobilities, making links across disciplinary, geographic and cultural boundaries. As well as academics with across the UK, the conference attracted researchers from Finland, Bosnia and Hercegovina, India, Poland, Ireland and Portugal.
Presentations explored the themes of hospitality, community and welcome in the lives of migrants as well as the complexities, challenges and futures of migration and mobilities studies. The conference saw outstanding keynote presentations by Prof Donna Chambers (Northumbria University), Dr Elena Genova and Dr Elisabetta Zontini (University of Nottingham), and Prof. Sundari Anitha (University of Lincoln) and Dr Iwona Zielińska-Poćwiardowska (Maria Grzegorzewska University). Recordings of the keynote presentations and the full programme can be found on the conference website.
Conference participants also had chance to hear from researchers and local practitioners who are bridging the gap between academic research and grassroots activities in migrant communities. The panellists included Dr Anna Scott (Assistant Director for the Arts Council England funded Transported Creative People and Places arts programme), Prof Heather Hughes (involved in the Creative Europe WE-Hope project) and Bahar Tömek (involved in Lincoln Embracing All Nations (LEAN) initiative).
One of the underlying concepts was the multidimensional nature of belonging, how belonging is shaped, experienced and framed, and how it manifests through place belongingness as well as the politics of belonging in uncertain times. Numerous presentations explored how migrants and refugees navigate often inhospitable spaces, how they negotiate belonging in uncertain times and their everyday experiences of (un)welcome. This multidimensional, fluid and contested nature of belonging will be explored through a Special Issue to be published in the Hospitality & Society journal.
Click here to read the Call for Papers.
Click here to see the MICaRD conference full programme.
PLANNED EVENTS
- Spring 2023: ‘Knowledge circulation, highly-skilled migrants, local communities and regional development’ (Centre for European Regional and Local Studies EUROREG, University of Warsaw, Poland).
PAST EVENTS
- Launch event and special panel session at Regional Studies Association Conference, Graz, Austria – 3 – 6 April 2016
- Inaugural dinner and workshop ‘Exploring and identifying barriers to migrants’ opportunities in the labour market’ organised in association with the Trans-Atlantic Rural Research Network and hosted by Queen’s University Belfast – 17 – 18 May 2016
- ‘Contemporary Migration in Changing World: New Perspectives and Challenges’ International Conference hosted by the University of Belgrade, Serbia – 18 – 21 September 2016
- A two-day workshop on “Out-migration and circular migration: impacts on regions and communities”, University of Warsaw, Poland – 11 – 12 September 2017
- RSA MICaRD Research Network Symposium “Beyond economic contribution: Migrant Identities, Working Lives and Social Embeddedness”, University of Lincoln, UK – 25 – 27 April 2018
- Special Session: 2019 Student and Early Career Conference, Lincoln, UK. Call for Abstracts is available here.
- Winter 2020: ‘International and Internal Migration: Challenges and Opportunities in Europe’ (Gran Sasso Science Institute, Italy)