Forced Migration and Refugee Studies
Networking and Knowledge Transfer

About the project: Forced Migration and Refugee Studies: Networking and Knowledge Transfer (FFVT)

The collaborative project "Forced Migration and Refugee Studies: Networking and Knowledge Transfer” (FFVT) aims to strengthen interdisciplinary research on forced migration and refugees in Germany. To this end, the project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) , brings together research on migration, development, conflict and violence, climate change, health, governance and human rights and other topics. In this way, FFVT supports the networking of researchers and institutes working in all relevant fields of research dealing with forced migration.

FFVT has promoted the internationalisation of Forced Migration and Refugee Studies in Germany: The project has already been involved in organising two international conferences in 2020 and 2022 and will host the 5th Conference of the German Network for Forced Migration Studies in Bonn. FFVT also offers a global Fellowship-Programme and a Summer School . In addition, FFVT regularly organises international workshops, makes its scientific activities visible on an international level and cooperates with important global networks, such as IASFM, IMICOE or LERRN.

The dialogue between academia, practitioners, the media and politicians is another key element of its work. The “ Report Globale Flucht” (in German) was published for the first time in April 2023 and will be published annually by FFVT from now on. It addresses the interested public, researchers, policymakers and practitioners.

With its diverse activities, FFVT contributes to establishing a sustainable infrastructure for research on forced migration and refugees in Germany, thus facilitating excellent academic work in this field.

Profile

Implementing Institutions: Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC), Centre for Human Rights Erlangen-Nürnberg (CHREN, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg), German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS, Universität Osnabrück)

Sponsorship: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)

Project Management Agency: DLR - Project Management Agency

Timeframe: Januar 2020 until Dezember 2024

Project Management: Prof. Dr. Andreas Pott (IMIS), Apl. Prof. Dr. Jochen Oltmer (IMIS), Prof. Dr. Ulrike Krause (IMIS), Prof. Dr. Conrad Schetter (BICC), Prof. Dr. Petra Bendel (CHREN), Dr. Rose Jaji (IDOS)

Project Coordination: Maarit Thiem (BICC) and Dr. Franck Düvell (IMIS)

Project Team Members: Rolf Alberth (BICC), Dr. Benjamin Etzold (BICC), Ann-Christin Komes (BICC), Lars Wirkus (BICC), Merlin Flaig (IDOS), Carolin Becher (IDOS), Dr. Marcel Berlinghoff (IMIS), Lillian Emeljanenko (IMIS), Arjeta Gringmuth (IMIS)

Student Assistants: Julia Reichert (BICC), Madita Vennemann (BICC), Merle Müller (BICC), Melina Müller (CHREN), Marie Gryger (IMIS), Anna Breithausen (IDOS), Hannah Fernholz (IDOS)

Project modules

The cooperation project is based on five, closely linked, modules:

Module 1 – Networking within the research fields

To establish an interdisciplinary network of refugee and forced migration research in Germany, taking into account all relevant research fields and actors as well as the promotion of excellent research and innovative reflective thinking is the main task.

Module 2 – Teaching and promotion of young researchers

Since refugee and forced migration studies can not yet be taken on as a field of study at German universities, it is necessary to develop the foundations for (translocal) Master’s programmes in refugee and forced migration studies. Furthermore, it is planned to enhance cooperation between different graduate programmes and to establish a research training group. The aim is to create structures that facilitate the education of students and doctoral candidates in coordinated programmes at different locations and that foster the international exchange among junior academics.

Module 3 – Internationalisation

Research conducted in Germany is not adequately linked to international refugee and forced migration studies. The project FFVT will facilitate sustainable networking and increase the visibility of German research in the international academic landscape. To this end, it will initiate cooperation with international researchers, thus establishing sustainable partnerships with strategically relevant institutions in the medium term.

Module 4 – Information infrastructure

An integral element of networking is the establishment of an online portal through which information on researchers, research projects and research outcomes, on transfer activities as well as on methodological and theoretical perspectives can be shared. A database that collects information on projects and researchers also offers the opportunity to analyse specific developments in the research field.

Module 5 – Knowledge transfer and dialogue

Research in refugee and forced migration studies is concerned with matters of outstanding foreign-, domestic and social-political relevance. This is why the dialogue with and the knowledge transfer into politics, practice and the public are of pivotal importance. The project will, among other things, identify the need for dialogue and transfer as well as prepare research findings for policymakers, experts, the media and the public and pass them on to the respective target group.

Information on the preceding project FFT (2016–2019)

The preceding project ‘Forced Displacement: Research and Transfer’  laid the groundwork for a sustained strengthening of the research field by bringing together existing knowledge, making visible the state of scientific debate and developing concrete recommendations for action based on the state of research. The project also published state-of-research papers and policy briefs that addressed specific topics.  
In addition, various workshops and conferences with policymakers, the media and practitioners ensured the transfer of research findings, exchange and networking. However, FFT also showed that there was little networking in Forced Migration and Refugee Studies in Germany and a lack of academic cooperation, especially at the international level, at the time. One of the aims of the follow-up project FFVT is, therefore, to strengthen the networking of research on forced migration and refugees and better integrate it into the international research community.   
 
FFT was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) from 2016 to 2019 and was jointly implemented by the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC–then Bonn International Center for Conversion) and the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS) at the University of Osnabrück.

Project coordination

BICC

Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies

Pfarrer-Byns-Straße 1
53121 Bonn
Deutschland
Tel. +49 228 911 96 0

IMIS

Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies — Universität Osnabrück

Neuer Graben 19/21, Gebäude 03
49074 Osnabrück
Deutschland
Tel. +49 541 969 4384
Fax +49 541 969 4380

Kontakt

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Advisory board

  • Dr. Steffen Angenendt

  • Dr. Roland Bank

  • Dr. Thomas Held

  • Dr. Christiane Fröhlich

  • Andrea Kothen

  • Dr. Katerina Kratzmann

  • Dr. Axel Kreienbrink

  • Prof. Dr. Ludger Pries

  • Prof. Sieglinde Rosenberger

  • Stefanie Scharf

  • Prof. Dr. Louis Henri Seukwa

  • Prof. Dr. Dagmar Soennecken

  • Prof. Dr. Annette Treibel

Details

Downloads

BICC
CHREN
IDOS
IMIS
BMBF
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