TRANSMIG -Transnational Practices in Migration research group within IMISCOE Research Network
Call for Participation
HIGHLY SKILLED MIGRANTS: A FUTURE RESEARCH AGENDA
Workshop at the 13th IMISCOE Conference in Prague (30 June –2 July 2016)
Organiser: Maja Povrzanović Frykman (MIM/GPS, Malmö University and Agderforskning)
The aim of this workshop is to discuss existent research and to shape a future research agenda concerning highly skilled migrants in Europe that goes beyond the brain drain/brain gain debate, labour market issues, and the dominant framework of migration and development. As understood here, highly skilled migrants possess university education and/or extensive professional experience and move from one country to another–either on their own or though company transfers. This includes both labour migrants who move for the purpose of work and non-economic migrants (like refugees and family migrants) who obtained their education in another country.
As the workshop is organised on behalf of TRANSMIG (Transnational Practices in Migration), we are interested in research on the highly skilled migrants’ transnational practices, their work-related experiences and negotiations of family and social obligations in more than one country.
However, presentations of any kind of projects and project ideas that focus on or include highly skilled migrants are welcome, as they will all contribute to a dialogue on theoretical approaches, topics and methodologies relevant to a better understanding of high-skilled migration.
The organiser would particularly like to investigate the possibilities of cross-country comparisons concerning international academics. The competition for academics –university teachers and researchers –has increased internationally as a result of globalization, higher education sector being increasingly driven by the quest for internationalisation. The mobility of academics is encouraged for its capacity to enable the exchange of expertise and has become indispensable for the career trajectory, especially at early career stages. The question remains however how do international academics themselves experience their moves and how they perceive the professional and private challenges and benefits of lives that involve transnational practices.
If you are interested in participating, please send a mail to Maja Povrzanović Frykman (
Along with your name, title, affiliation and email, please note the title of the project (or the project idea) you would like to present in the workshop.
Abstracts are not needed, since the workshop participants will not present papers, but circulate brief information about their projects and/or project ideas before the meeting in Prague. Practical organisation will depend on the number of participants.
Participation in this workshop will not prevent you from presenting a paper in some panel at the conference (see http://imiscoe.org/what-imiscoe-does/events/508-13th-imiscoe-annual-conference-prague-june-30-july-2-2016).
Please note that the conference is open to IMISCOE network members and non-members alike, so please feel free to circulate this call also beyond the IMISCOE network.
The conference fee is €200; for PhD students the fee is €150. It includes a one-year individual membership in IMISCOE.