UNHCH tents in the Jordanian desert, Al Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan “My name is Aya, and I am 32 years old. I was born in southern Syria, near Daraa. My family worked in agriculture, and at 18, I married a local farmer. We lived a modest life, but we always had enough to eat.Continue reading “A Silent Exodus: Climate Change and the Crisis of Displacement”
Blog
The RUNOMI blog is our collective bulletin board: read our members’ thoughts on current issues, get to know their work better, find out about events we organize and see who else is talking about us!
Would you like to contribute a blog post to RUNOMI? To ensure your piece aligns with our platform, we have set a few guidelines. Check out the blog guidelines here and share your perspective!
Full Features
From the pen of our members, full length feature writings. Want to write about a topic related to the RUNOMI themes? Get in touch with the team by mailing Noemi Mena Montes or Pyke Haans (we also accept guest pens).
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Thinking, feeling, changing: how Cyprus reshaped my understanding of research
Have you ever experienced a moment at which your research became deeply personal? Or when a place you had studied from a distance suddenly confronted you with emotions you had not anticipated? When I first set foot in Cyprus for my fieldwork, I thought I was well prepared. Months of reading, writing, and thinking about Cyprus and its buffer zone had given me what I thought was a reasonable understanding of the country and its many complexities. But once there, I realized that no amount of reading could prepare me for the emotions and contradictions I encountered.
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The cabinet plans on naturalisation and integration
Reposted and translated from Verblijfblog (November 12, 2024)
As previously announced in the outline agreement , the government program of the Schoof cabinet contains several plans that relate to naturalization and nationality that, taken together, will complicate access to Dutch citizenship and make the loss of Dutch citizenship easier. Verblijfblog provides an overview of these plans, the legal bottlenecks and expected effects.
In the media
Our members and their work as featured near and far…
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The voices of migrant researchers: Participatory Action Research in DignityFIRM
From our sister project DignityFIRM, three peer-researchers talk about their work and experience with participatory action research for the project. Watch the below video to hear their voices: Participatory action research (PAR) is a collaborative research approach where those most affected by an issue actively participate in the research process, from design to action, toContinue reading “The voices of migrant researchers: Participatory Action Research in DignityFIRM”
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Interview: ‘Gevestigd, maar niet thuis.’ Hoe zorgen we dat 5 miljoen Nederlanders met migratieachtergrond volwaardig bij kunnen dragen?
Foto: Een momentopname van de RUNOMI Summer School in 2024, een jaarlijks terugkerende bijeenkomst waarin migratievraagstukken centraal staan. Het thema van dat jaar: digitalisering en migratie.
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Article: Rachel Kollar on How Islam Does Not Hinder Muslim Political Participation
In public debates, we often hear claims that Islam is at odds with democracy. Rachel Kollar challenges this narrative. Her study shows that Islam is certainly not an obstacle to political participation; in fact, it inspires some Muslims to engage in democracy. This mobilization is driven primarily by the belief that they should be good citizens, stand up against injustice, and ensure that their interests are represented in politics.
Recapped
Conference reviews, event summaries and debriefings from the field….
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AfroDiasporic Circulations Conference
On 15 and 16 January 2025 the conference AfroDiasporic Circulations: A ‘South-South’ Dialogue across the Atlantic took place. The main purpose was to make visible the existing bridges between West-Africa and South America.
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Bringing Borders to the Digital Age: Book Presentation on The Digital Transformation of the Border Regime
On February 27, Dr. Paul Trauttmansdorff from the Technical University of Munich visited Radboud University to present his book, The Digital Transformation of the Border Regime: The Powers and Perils of Imagining Future Borders. Organized by RUNOMI, the seminar brought together a diverse audience, including scholars, students, and researchers interested in migration, digital governance, and border studies. Dr. Evelien Brouwer (Utrecht University) and Dr. Yiran Yang (Radboud University) served as panel discussants, adding critical insights to the discussion.
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Research visit from Dr. Justine Lloyd – On migration, superdiversity and ‘Sites of Conscience’
In October 2024, Dr. Justine Lloyd (Associate Professor in Sociology) from Macquarie University in Sydney visited me at RUNOMI and the department of Geography, Planning & Environment.
Ongoing Project
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Bridging the Digital Divide: A Journey of Inclusion and Resilience
I thought taking a tram would be simple. Back home, if you had money, you could get where you needed to go. So when I saw the tram approaching in the Netherlands, I felt a small sense of accomplishment—like I was already figuring things out. Then I reached into my pocket and realized I hadContinue reading “Bridging the Digital Divide: A Journey of Inclusion and Resilience”
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Bridging the digital divide: Empowering female refugees for inclusive employment
In an era where digital skills are a prerequisite for most jobs, a lack of digital literacy can be a significant barrier to employment. For female refugees in the Netherlands, this digital divide presents a major challenge, limiting their ability to access work opportunities and integrate into the labour market. The DigiSkills2Work project, coordinated by RUNOMI member Giacomo Solano, aims to address this pressing issue by investigating the link between digital skills and employment opportunities for female refugees.
News and Events
RUNOMI organized and sponsored events, and news from the team….
Call for Abstracts: DAMR Conference 2025
DAMR is excited to announce the next DAMR Annual Conference to you, taking place on November 27 at the University of Groningen. As the leading interdisciplinary network for migration scholars in the Netherlands, the DAMR Annual Conference is a platform for exchange, discussing of new research, and networking. Please submit your abstracts (250 words) toContinue reading “Call for Abstracts: DAMR Conference 2025”
RUNOMI Member Grants
ONLY AVAILABLE FOR RUNOMI MEMBERS RUNOMI is able to fund 5 initiatives of RUNOMI members taking place in the year 2025 (so before 1 January 2026) with a grant of maximum €1500. Required is that the initiative adds value for RUNOMI (i.e. is connected to the RUNOMI goals), is interdisciplinary and connects multiple researchers acrossContinue reading “RUNOMI Member Grants”
Symposium ‘Decolonizing’ Data: Epistemologies, Imaginaries, and Sovereignties Thursday 9 October 2025, 10am-5pm
Join us for the ‘Decolonising’ Digital Data symposium on October 9th. In this one-day event, we will explore how to critically examine and reimagine prevailing digital practices and infrastructures through a decolonial lens. We will bring together scholars and practitioners who work at the intersection of digital research, critical epistemologies, and data justice. We areContinue reading “Symposium ‘Decolonizing’ Data: Epistemologies, Imaginaries, and Sovereignties”
Call for Abstracts – ‘𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘑𝘰𝘣𝘴, 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴? 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩-𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴”
Francesco Cerchiaro and Giacomo Solano are inviting researchers to contribute to a timely and critical conversation on high-skilled migration. Co-organized by RUNOMI, GLOCAL Hotspot, and the Sector Plan on Social Inequality and Diversity, the event will explore how high-skilled migrants negotiate mobility, belonging, class, and place across diverse global and local contexts. We welcome abstractsContinue reading “Call for Abstracts – ‘𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘑𝘰𝘣𝘴, 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴? 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩-𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴””
Call for Abstracts: Sectorplan Symposium ‘Decolonizing’ Digital Data: Epistemologies, Imaginaries, Sovereignties
Please send an expression of interest before June 10, 2025 to joost.beuving@ru.nl, and send abstracts for papers (250-400 words) before June 27, 2025 to the same email address. Selected paper-givers will be informed before/during the summer.
Vacancy: Postdoc Position RUNOMI Research Programme on Labour Migration
Are you a passionate quantitative researcher eager to tackle societal challenges related to labour migrants’ work and living conditions in the Netherlands and beyond? Do you have the organisational and entrepreneurial skills to help expand RUNOMI’s research partnerships and inspire students through teaching? Join us as a postdoctoral researcher in the RUNOMI Labour Migration Research Programme.
Member spotlights
Have a closer look at some of our members at work…
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Jeanine Suurmond, Professor
Jeanine Suurmond is a Professor specializing in Inclusive, Person-Centered Healthcare for Vulnerable Citizens. Her chair, co-funded by Pharos, the expertise center for health disparities, focuses on improving access to care for individuals in hard-to-reach and vulnerable situations.
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Saskia Glas, Assistant Professor
Saskia Glas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology. Her research centers on the inclusion of minorities. She represents the Faculty of Social Sciences on the RUNOMI steering group.
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Noemi Mena Montes, Assistant Professor
Dr. Noemi Mena Montes joined the RUNOMI network as part of the sector-plan, focusing on the topic of ‘Migrant Inclusion: Information, Communication, and Development,’ where she contributes her expertise to research and initiatives aimed at enhancing migrant integration through innovative communication strategies.
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Joud Alkorani, Assistant Professor
Faculty of Philosophy, Theology, and Religious Studies, Department of Islam, Politics and Society Alkorani joined Radboud as an assistant professor in 2021; she was a RUNOMI affiliate for two years before becoming formally incorporated as Sector Plan member in 2023. What are you working on, and how does your work relate to the focus of RUNOMI?Continue reading “Joud Alkorani, Assistant Professor”
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Martijn de Koning, Associate professor
As associate professor at Islam, Politics and Society, de Koning works on the intersection of race, religion and mobility; a theme that cuts across his teaching, research and societal impact work. The role of digitalization is not a specific focus but is interwoven with this particular theme and how he approaches it. Additionally, he is a member of the Runomi steering group, contributing to the network’s strategic direction and initiatives.