(acronym #EUMedMi)

Start: 01-09-2019        End: 31-08-2022

Project Reference: 611260-EPP-1-2019-1-ES-EPPJMO-NETWORK

This three-year international project is funded by the Erasmus + Jean Monnet Network Program and coordinated by GRITIM-UPF, with six members of the EuroMedMig Network acting as partners, alongside 10 associate partners. More information can be found on the Erasmus + official website at the following address: Project Card

Information about its progress and related activities and publications are announced on EuroMedMig´s website.

Origin of #EUMedMi Project:

In July 2018, a Euro-Mediterranean Research Network on Migration (EuroMedMig) was launched during the 15^th IMISCOE Annual Conference in Barcelona, with an initial composition of 18 Members in the Steering Committee. Countries covered are: Algeria, Belgium, Egypt, Europe (EUI), Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, France, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Norway, Netherlands, Tunisia, and Turkey. Given that EUMedMi is a specific action of the larger Mediterranean EuroMedMig Network institutionally supported by The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and academically recognised as an IMISCOE regional network, the other partners will participate in different actions as Associate partners. GRITIM-UPF will ensure to produce public-minded benefits from this unique Research and Innovation (R&I) platform developing European Studies at the crossroad of Mediterranean and Migration Research. 

Description of #EUMedMi Project:

In the last few years, the Mediterranean gained more and more relevance in European and Migration Studies and, currently, it is a regional focal point where several types of large-scale human displacement converge. This is a global and local challenge with major effects on origin/transit/destination countries, border/integration/diversity policies, and geopolitical strategies. Indeed, if we review the recent European policy agenda on Mediterranean Migration the keywords identified would probably be unpredictability, complexity, and also lack of evidence-based narratives and policies on current migration dynamics and governance systems.

In this framework, #EUMedMi Jean Monnet Network seeks to forge a community of researchers to develop the field of European Mediterranean Migration Studies. In spite of an existing burgeoning literature, this field is dispersed and unarticulated in Mediterranean and Migration European Studies. The main scientific purpose is two-fold. First, to collect and map the body of knowledge that has been accumulated since the EuroMed focus was constituted as a neighbourhood framework of cooperation in 1995. Second, to define and open this new Euro-Mediterranean Migration R&I agenda for the coming years, through particular researches developed by partners. The concrete means for this first three-year period (#EUMedMi constitutive stage) is to create a networking platform that is able to strengthen research capacities, through the exchange of knowledge and expertise, as to produce, through joint-work, innovative knowledge in European Studies within a shared space of communication.

Composed of 7 members and 10 associate partners, #EUMedMi covers the overall Mediterranean geographical scope. It is intentionally multi-disciplinary and multi-methods, with social and policy influential partners that can have country-specific data sources. #EUMedMi´s ambition is to become a reference focal point establishing a permanent bridging forum for exchanging information, theoretical frameworks and approaches, combining Research, Training, and policy/social/research Dialogue, for the development of a Mediterranean Migration research agenda within European Studies. Following Valletta recommendations (2017), GRITIM-UPF, as the main coordinator, will ensure to tackle these European Mediterranean Migration challenges within a global agenda perspective. This distinctive feature of partnership composition and way of focusing joint-work will be a resource for preventing Euro-centric narratives and the excessive generalizations on one of the most challenging issues our Mediterranean societies must face today.

The capacity building of all members will be ensured through several joint-activities, impact and dissemination strategies. An open-access online website and social networks will be set up from the beginning to enhance information, raise awareness, and give access to tools available to students, researchers, decision-makers (policy-makers and stakeholders). Structuring all the activities around three main pillars (Research, Training, and Dialogue), specially focusing on the interlink between them. Each partner will develop their own research. This will be the basis of the overall Mediterranean Migration research agenda in European Studies and the ground for knowledge exchange. This research will be the main resource for Training and Dialogues. The young researcher’s training will have preference thanks to the organization of a first Ph.D. Summer School and a three-year seminar series with Work Packages (WP) and Audio-Visual Material Seminar production. A national-based WS series will also ensure the policy, social and research Dialogue. Additionally, the ambition of the innovative research also is to organize a final Symposium involving scholars, policymakers and stakeholders from all the rims of the Mediterranean, to discuss within European Studies how Mediterranean cities could become new drivers for changing the current state-based Euro-Mediterranean policy paradigm. Finally, all the research and training activities will be channelled towards the edition of a Handbook on European Mediterranean Migration Studies.

                                     #EUMedMi Partners and Associate Partners: