Bridging Migration and International Relations

Global change processes, geopolitical power shifts and transnational migration dynamics are among the central challenges of our time with comprehensive political, economic and social implications. Although various scientific disciplines, especially international relations (IR) and migration studies, deal with partial aspects of these problems, the dialogue between these fields of research is still weak, both internationally and in Austria. In addition, the challenges of migration and displacement affect not only individuals, but also hosting communities and international relations. Against this background, we propose a stronger linkage between international relations and migration research, which would allow for conceptual and theoretical innovation as well as methodological and empirical new approaches and results. Within the framework of the platform “Zwischenräume” (“inbetween spaces”), see https://zwischenraeume.co.at/projects-de/, a cooperation between the University of Continuing Education Krems (UWK) and the Austrian Institute of International Politics (oiip), has been established. Among their agenda is to bring different scholars and policymakers of different disciplines together. The Department of Migration and Globalization, see https://www.donau-uni.ac.at/en/university/faculties/business-globalization/departments/migration-globalization.html, hereby brings migration to the table. Migration and international relations can foster the partnership to interrogate complexities of the international system and improve migration governance migration. While migration studies focus on the human, the vulnerable, and the reasons behind and ahead of mobility, IR develops theories that help better understand international structures and foreign policy motivations. We argue that integrating IR perspectives into migration studies can help provide a better ground for systematic comparative research, the generalization of conceptions, theory building and the consideration of international political and economic structures in the analysis of migration. For more information regarding the platform “Zwischenräume” and the cooperation with oiip, please contact: Christina Hainzl and about migration within the project: Heidrun Bohnet and Federica Zardo.