The organizing committee of the 2026 IMISCOE Spring conference in Liège

 

Founded in 1995, the Centre for Ethnic and Migration Studies (CEDEM) is a research centre of the Institute for Social Science Research at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Liège. It is a founding member of IMISCOE and has served as its Coordinating Institute since April 2022.

CEDEM brings together a dynamic and international team of scholars who conduct empirically and theoretically grounded research on migration, ethnic relations, and racism from a multidisciplinary perspective. Research at CEDEM is structured around three complementary axes: institutions and migration governance; the roles and mobilization of actors within migration processes; and area studies with a particular focus on the Mediterranean and Islam. Our multidisciplinary team—including among others sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists and economists—works closely with local, national, and international partners, producing knowledge that is empirically grounded, socially relevant, and globally connected. As such, CEDEM also plays an active role in fostering dialogue among academics, civil society organisations, policymakers, and the wider public on pressing issues related to ethnicity and migration at Belgian, European, and global levels.

 

With its increased salience in societal and public debates, migration has become an issue of contention that feeds ongoing processes of ideological polarization. Populist and radical right parties, in particular, have instrumentally utilized migration debates to advance their political agendas. With a view of reducing legal avenues for immigration and immigrants’ rights, these parties frequently make use of alternative facts on migration and politically charged rhetorics, disregarding science-based evidence. In this context- which also impacts in various ways mainstream parties’ positioning on migration-, we observe a backlash against the use of concepts such as diversity, intersectionality, or islamophobia that social scientists have promoted to question existing power relations. However, in different parts of the world, these parties and the narratives they promote also encounter resistance from other political and civil society actors as well as researchers, who must navigate the dilemma of either avoiding these contentious debates to minimize potential (electoral) risks or engaging in efforts to present counter-narratives which may feed the polarizing dynamics at play.

 

This 2026 IMISCOE Spring Conference provides a space for reflection on how these contentious times shape both migration governance and migrant experiences. On the one hand, it will critically examine how migration governance and policies are shaped by the current contentious context and discuss how the increasing politicization of migration has influenced immigration and integration policy-making processes, including the roles of various actors, the incorporation of science-based data, the content of resulting policies and their impact on public attitudes toward immigration. On the other hand, the conference will explore how the experience of being a migrant is influenced by the current contentious context. Indeed, rising anti-immigrant sentiments and restrictive policies - including recent decisions to drastically decrease development aid which also impacts refugee camps - invite us to reconsider how migrant exercise their agency and how they perceive and navigate these contentious times.

 

Through panels, plenaries, and side events, the conference aims to create a space for dialogue between scholars and diverse social actors involved in migration debates. Consistent with IMISCOE’s commitment to reflexivity, diversity, and inclusion, the event brings together participants from varied disciplinary, geographical, and professional backgrounds, with particular attention to under-represented and racialized scholars. 

 

Ultimately, this conference offers an opportunity to collectively reflect on how migration research itself is challenged and transformed by the contentious and polarized times in which it unfolds—and to imagine new ways of engaging critically, responsibly, and inclusively with migration in the 21st century.

Around 400 participants are expected to join the conference, either on-site in Liège or online from around the world. This year’s event introduces several important novelties. For the first time, the program will feature an equal number of on-site and online panels—20 each—enhancing participation across the network. Also for the first time, all panels will be chaired by PhD students and early career researchers, recognising the valuable contribution of this brilliant new generation of migration scholars. Attendees are encouraged to take a moment during their panels to thank their chairs for their engagement. Moreover, several sessions, including plenaries, semi-plenaries, and side events, will offer simultaneous on-site translation in French and/or English. Conference participants are invited to acknowledge the translators for helping make the event more inclusive.

 

The program includes inspiring plenaries and semi-plenaries, offering opportunities to join conversations with migration scholars, civil society organisations, and practitioners about migration policies and migrant experiences in contentious times. A special session, Researchers meet CSOs, will allow scholars and local organisations to exchange insights on migration dynamics in a shifting political context. Activities tailored specifically for PhD students within the IMISCOE community will further enrich their conference experience. The conference also features a the launch of the new open-access IMISCOE volume “A New Wave of Anti-Racism in Europe?”, providing the chance to engage in discussion with its editors and contributors. Attendees can join a cinema screening of The Jacket, a portrait of Jamal Hindawi, a Palestinian man living in exile in Shatila refugee camp in Lebanon, followed by a discussion with the film director (free tickets available for both on-site and online participants). Finally, a guided tour of Liège organised by the non-profit association F41 will explore the city’s migration history and dynamics, with free tickets available for those who wish to join.

Liège is a historical and cultural representation of our region: the city offers 8 ancient collegiate churches, and other sightseeing including the Palace of the Princes-Bishops, the Royal Opera of Wallonia and the Liège-Guillemins station, work of the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.  

 

Seeing or even climbing the 374 steps of the Bueren Mountain could also be of interest for you. This imposing staircase of the 19th century allows a direct link between the city centre and citadel and reveals an amazing view of the city.

 

A walk in the famous Coteaux de la Citadelle, connecting the Rue Pierreuse to the stairs of the Montagne de Bueren, will offer you a quiet walk through 90 hectares of classified nature and a breathtaking view of the city. 

 

If you love street art, discover the superb thirty public art frescos painted in the four corners of the city creations produced in the four corners of the city.

 

 

Daniela Vintila and Jean-Michel Lafleur (IMISCOE Coordinators)

Carole Wenger and Angeliki Konstantinidou (IMISCOE Network Officers)

Marco Martiniello, Hassan Bousetta, Elsa Mescoli (Professors CEDEM-ULiege) 

Abdeslam Marfouk, Alice Clarebout, Alison Diec, Almuhannad Allahham, Claire Vincent-Mory, Elettra Calò, Elif Beyza Dincer, Eric Florence, Ibtissame Bourhnane, Ismail Oubad, Jérémy Mandin, Mickael Idrac, Paula Fernández García, Rokhaya Ndione, Shannon Gouppy, Sorina Cârstea, Sousso Bignandi, Thomas Huddelston, Xingcheng Wen (CEDEM team members)