More than ever, migrations are shaping and changing societies across the globe. No matter whether regional or transnational, the global movement of human beings has given rise to new challenges and opportunities in a variety of societal spheres. Education, labour markets, health care, popular culture, housing, media, social security, political representation, foreign policy, etc are all influenced and reshaped by migration. In this scenario we also witness the co-existence of opposing (at times conflictual) positions on matters of integration policies (regarding, for instance, the rights of economic migrants, family reunification, circular migration and asylum), and matters of local identity and values. These developments raise a plethora of questions for social and other scientists: How to approach and study migration in the present scenario? And how to put such knowledge at the service of governance? How and where to address challenges of increasing diversity to social cohesion and cultural identities and practices? How to model migration trends in European population dynamics? How can we adapt local institutions (such as education, health care, public services, popular culture) to accommodate diversity? How can we rethink media and the public sphere in a transnationally interconnected, yet at times also polarized world?

Building on the strong expertise, research and networks developed by the centre for Migration and Intercultural Studies and by researchers in each of the four departments in the Faculty of Social Sciences this research network aims to foster research collaborations in broad field of migration and global mobility. This collaboration involves the four different departments in the Faculty of Social Sciences as well as other (interdisciplinary) institutions in the University of Antwerp and beyond. In order to realise these goals, the network will develop a management structure involving at least one member of each department of the Faculty of Social Sciences with a track record in migration and global mobility research.

The following professors are involved in research related to these subjects:

​Peter Bursens (Political Science)

Noel Clycq (Training and Education Sciences) 

​Alexander Dhoest (Communication Studies)

​Paolo S H Favero (Communication Studies) 

​Karel Neels (Sociology)

Stijn Oosterlynck (Sociology) 

​Karolien Poels (Communication Studies)

​Mieke Schrooten (Sociology)

​Heidi Vandebosch (Communication Studies)

​Koen Verhoest (Political Science) 

Gert Verschraegen (Sociology) 

​Michel Walrave (Communication Studies)

​Edwin Wouters (Sociology)