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Reflections on four inspiring days at the 23rd IMISCOE Annual Conference 

From 29 June to 2 July 2026, students of the EuMIGS Cohort 2025/26 attended the 23rd IMISCOE Annual Conference on Strengthening Migration Studies through Community Engagement.

What was it like to be part of one of the leading international conferences in migration studies? We are happy to share reflections from the conference through the eyes of EuMIGS student Anna, who is sharing her personal experiences and insights below.

For me, the conference coincided with the deadline to submit my master’s thesis. Due to this, it was even more interesting to attend my first ever academic conference. Previously, I only read the academic papers produced from migration research, so meeting the people and hearing their presentation of their work was a very different experience. It made academia seem a bit closer and more personal since I could see the people behind the research. 

I was able to attend various plenary sessions where four to five researchers presented their ongoing projects under one title. I found this format especially interesting and a real option to see the fuller scope of research. One session I found interesting both academically and personally was a session about refugees and displaced people organizing themselves and using this organization to improve their conditions in displacement. The three research projects presented involved different groups of people in various countries and legal statuses. For me, it was even more interesting to hear about the three ongoing projects under one umbrella since their circumstances made them drastically different, but in the discussion following the presentations, the researchers could pinpoint similarities in their methods and findings. 

It was positive to listen to one of the main panel discussions where the central argument of involving or centering race in migration research emerged and was debated at length. The contrasting perspectives really opened up discussions among the audience as well. This was in stark contrast with most of the other sessions I listened to throughout the conference days or what I am used to in discussing migration research in class. It was refreshing to hear genuine disagreement and contrasting perspectives. These debates stayed with us beyond the conference, and my classmates and I continued discussing the different arguments afterwards.

At the conference I learned about the emerging concept of Global East, which I found fascinating. Simultaneously, at a different discussion a participant problematized the use of Global North and Global South, so combining the elements of the two independent sessions is challenging my views and understanding of the categorization of countries and regions. This definitely shapes how I talk about different regions in my work moving forward. 

Besides listening to others’ work, I was able to present my thesis shortly in a segment specifically us, EuMIGS students. While it was similar to presenting at a defense or in class, it obviously felt more advanced. As a master’s student it felt like a big step professionally, something that gave me a lot of confidence professionally and it was reassuring to complete this before the master’s thesis defense.

For me, it was a great opportunity to attend the conference, see what academia is like and what my career could look like in the future if I pursue research within the field of migration. Attending as a master’s student helped me imagine that progressing with a PhD and diving deeper into academic research is a possibility for me.