More Light on Central Europe
An Online Lecture Series on Migration and Educational Research in Central Europe
Under the motto "More Light on Central Europe," the freely accessible online lecture series of the EMCE network will begin in March. EMCE (Education and Migration in Central Europe) brings together researchers from Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine, and Germany with the goal of bridging migration and educational research, with a particular focus on Central and Eastern Europe.
What to Expect:
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16 lectures featuring international speakers from academia and practice
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Interdisciplinary discussions on key issues in migration and education research
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Insights into current challenges in the Central and Eastern European region
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Free participation for all interested parties
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Language: English
When and where?
🗓 Every third Tuesday of the month
⏰5:30 PM – 7:00 PM (CET)
🌐 Online - Link to be announced
First Event
📅 March 19, 2025
🎤 Documentary filmmaker David Bernet reports on the humanitarian situation on the Polish-Belarusian border
Upcoming Dates
📅 April 15, 2025 - Prof. Andrea Pető (Central European University)
📅 May 20, 2025 - Olena Vasylchenko (University of Vienna)
➡ More exciting lectures to follow!
Organization & Coordination
- EMCE Network Coordination 2025: Dr. Kristina Kocyba (Chair of School Pedagogy: School Research, TU Dresden)
- Event organization: Dr. hab. Paweł Rudnicki (University of Lower Silesia, Wrocław)
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The Chair of School Pedagogy: School Research invites you to join in the exchange and looks forward to your participation! |
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Report on the Opening Conference in Wrocław
On February 6-7, 2025, the first international conference of the EMCE network took place at the DSW University of Lower Silesia in Wrocław. The acronym EMCE stands for Education and Migration in Central Europe. Under the title "More Light on Central Europe," scholars and activists from Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine, Germany, and Canada gathered to present and discuss research, projects, and initiatives.
Main Topic: Education and Migration in Central and Eastern Europe
The declared goal of the EMCE network is to bring together migration and educational research, with a special focus on Central and Eastern Europe. Countries like Poland and Hungary have historically been shaped by migration, multilingualism, and multiculturalism, despite national narratives. With regard to the school system, the flight from Ukraine is currently of utmost relevance, raising questions - similar to Germany - about inclusive schooling, transnational educational trajectories, and teacher professionalization.
Interdisciplinary Exchange and International Collaboration
The conference provided a space for interdisciplinary exchange, reflecting the complexity of the topics discussed.
The event opened with an online keynote by Prof. Dr. Aysun Doğmuş (TU Berlin) on "Blank Spaces – A Reflection on Migration and Racism as a Subject in the Educational Discourse in Germany."
This was followed by four panel sessions:
- Migration Policy (and its Subversion) in Central and Eastern Europe
- Inclusion in Education & Digitalization
- Inclusion in Education & Language(s)
- Presentation of Individual Initiatives, including projects for children with special educational needs who are refugees.
Inevitably, the scientific analyses and, in some cases, biographical descriptions of exiled female scientists left the audience not only more informed, but also emotionalized. In this context, projects that embody solidarity, hope and a focus on solutions despite the most adverse circumstances - such as the Real School in Budapest, which is committed to sustainability and supporting Ukrainian refugees, or the Union Ukrainian's School in Wrocław, which offers teachers and pupils a second home - were given more time at the end.
There was also valuable input from the Chair of School Pedagogy: School Research, with Dr. Olha Ihnatyeva using the example of the DAAD Ukraine Digital initiative to illustrate how educational opportunities can be maintained even in times of war. Dr. Kristina Kocyba and Josephine Herz located empirical findings from teacher training in Dresden in current paradigms for teacher professionalization in the context of school and forced migration.
The full conference program can be accessed here.