DeZIM-Conference 2026

The Contested Normalities of Migration

Migration, displacement, and belonging lie at the heart of social negotiation processes. Yet beyond current polarizations, fundamental questions emerge regarding the drivers and processes of social and political change: How are conflicts concerning migration historically and structurally embedded? In which contexts are migration and diversity an uncontested normality? What are the consequences of “asynchronies,” a coexistence of different intensities and logics of conflict? And along which lines of conflict are the principles of the rule of law being undermined in favor of anti-democratic or illiberal politics?
Taking this approach, the conference aims to examine, from an interdisciplinary perspective, how global crises, transnational interdependencies, national discourses, and local experiences shape long-term shifts in solidarity, exclusion, and democracy. It seeks not merely to interpret conflicts as symptoms of the present, but to analyze them as key dynamics of social transformation and future viability.

Key questions include:

How do fault lines, narratives, and political orders surrounding migration, flight, and belonging change over longer historical periods? What continuities characterize these fields?
Which dynamics of closure and openness are evident in political institutions, civil society, the media, and everyday practices, and how can contradictory logics and conflicting tendencies be explained?
In dealing with migration, what conflict logics - democratizing, stabilizing, exclusive - can be identified in political institutions, civil society, the media, and everyday life?
How do international conflicts, transnational networks, and local experiences interact and shape longer-term shifts in the understanding of participation, integration, and solidarity?
How and why do new forms of racism, exclusion, and authoritarianism, and at the same time new practices of solidarity and democratic renewal, emerge in the context of global crises and local conflicts?
What role do research, politics, and practice play in shaping migration-related areas of conflict, and how can asynchronies in social change be systematically recorded and reflected upon?

The conference is designed to be an interdisciplinary forum for exchange and networking between academia, politics, and practice. Invited participants include academics at all career stages as well as stakeholders from politics, administration, civil society, and practice who work on topics related to migration, integration, racism, and conflict research.

Forms of Participation

The DeZIM conference combines three types of participation, each with its own submission requirements:

Panel Track

In the Panel Track, scholarly contributions are presented and discussed in thematically linked panels. Panels consist of three to four presentations of 12-15 minutes each, followed by a commentary and a discussion (total duration: 90 minutes).
It is possible to submit proposals for a full panel or for individual contributions. Individual contributions will be assigned to thematically appropriate panels by the program committee.
All submissions in the panel track are paper-based contributions.
The submitted papers (e.g., journal articles, edited-volume contributions, book chapters, including work in progress) will be sent to the respective panel participants about four weeks before the conference to ensure sufficient time for commentary.

Poster Track

The poster track is suitable for both early-stage (research) projects and projects whose results can be easily presented visually. The posters will be presented during a poster session (format: A0).

Roundtable/Workshop Track

This track includes moderated panel discussions with up to four participants from academia, politics, and practice, as well as moderated workshops with contributions from one to two experts. In both formats, the audience is actively involved in an in-depth discussion (90 minutes).

Application

Please submit the following information in a PDF document by March 31, 2026 via email to tagung(at)dezim-institut.de:
Name and institutional affiliation
Indication of the desired participation format
Preferred presentation language (German or English; please keep it consistent within a format)
Indication of willingness to moderate an additional panel at the conference

For Panel-Sessions:

Full panel submissions: Panel title, abstract, and titles of individual papers (max. 300 words), information about all presenters including chair and discussant
Individual contributions: Abstract of the paper (max. 300 words) and submission of the full paper (draft) no later than one month before the conference

For Poster Submissions:

Abstract of the project (max. 300 words)

For Roundtable/Workshop Submissions:

Abstract (max. 300 words) with a thematic description
A brief justification (2–3 sentences) for the selection of participants
Roundtables: Information about presenters or panel guests (name, email, and institutional affiliation)
Workshops: Names of speakers or workshop leaders

The number of participants is limited. Decisions on submissions will be based on an assessment of quality and relevance. Notifications will be sent no later than the end of May 2026.

Travel and accommodation costs generally cannot be covered. Recommendations for accommodation will be provided on the conference website in due course.
For a limited number of PhD students with an accepted submission, travel and accommodation costs may be covered in accordance with the German Federal Travel Expenses Act. Please explain in your submission why your institution cannot cover these costs.

Contact

Any questions can be directed to Esther Beckey and Julia Heinle at tagung(at)dezim-institut.de. Research networking offices at the institutes of the DeZIM research community are also available as contact persons.

Program Committee and Conference Organization
Esther Beckey (DeZIM-Institut), Marcel Berlinghoff (IMIS), Andreas BlättCe (InZentIM), Andrea Chagas (MZES), Zeynep Demir (IKG), Laura Goßner (IAB), Noa Ha (DeZIM-Institut), Julia Heinle (DeZIM-Institut), Andreas Pott (IMIS), Elisa Steinhilper (DeZIM-Institut) Andreas Zick (IKG)