In the spring of 2016, researchers from the Canadian Child and Youth Refugee Research Coalition (CYRRC) and the Leibniz Education Research Network LERN started to exchange information and initiate research collaborations on the integration of refugees. The partners organized two research workshops funded by BMBF, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and SSHRC-CRSH, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Participants shared information on the structural contexts regarding the immigration of refugees to Germany and Canada and identified four common research themes:
- Economic, social, and political challenges facing refugee children, youth, and families
- Language, literacy, and learning
- Social integration, human rights, social stigma, culture, and security/violence
- Mental health and the social determinants of well-being
With the project “Research Exchange and Cooperation between Canada and Germany on the Integration of Refugees” – funded by the BMBF – the collaboration was further expanded between 2017 and 2020.
The work included the organization of binational research workshops and a Graduate Summer School for doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers from both countries, as well as public events in Germany, the organization of symposia and the presentation of results at national and international research conferences, as well as the publication of an edited volume with a selection of work from refugee research and integration practice, focussing on different aspects of knowledge mobilization, counseling and participatory research activities in the field.The project worked closely with the Child and Youth Refugee Research Coalition (CYRRC) and the Network Research on Refugees, Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS), University of Osnabrück.
Project management: Prof. Dr. Karin Zimmer
Duration: 01/2018 – 12/2020
Edited book published in co-operation with the German Network of Forced Migration Researchers
“Wissensmobilisierung und Transfer in der Fluchtforschung. Kommunikation, Beratung und gemeinsames Forschungshandeln” [Knowledge mobilization and transfer in refugee research. Communication, counseling and joint research action], with contributions in English and German.
How can the exchange between science and practice be conceptualized? What do the examples from refugee research show us and what conclusions do they allow for both science and practice? In this book transfer is first presented in terms of knowledge mobilization: as communication, counseling or cooperative action and research. Further, the authors discuss transfer from the point of view of different stakeholder groups in refugee research, e.g. in different education sectors, social work and public administration. The book also presents case studies from Germany and Canada as well as interviews with stakeholders rom practical work. The book is an interesting read for all concerned with knowledge mobilization and transfer, as well as everyone who deals with the arrival and participation of refugees – decision-makers in the municipalities and federal states, researchers and research sponsors, refugees, volunteers as well as the the industry and the civil society. In this way, the book strives to contribute to the exchange between science and practice.
The printed version can be ordered directly from the publishers or can be downloaded open-access: Edited Volume. The original English-language articles by the Canadian contributors have been translated into German by Integration CAN-D and are available open-access via the VET Repository of the Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training): German Translation of the Canadian Contributions
Online dialogue series
“Integration of Refugees in Germany and Canada: How We Learn from and with Each Other” | 8 – 11 December 2020 | virtual
The online event series “Integration of Refugees in Germany and Canada: How We Learn from and with Each Other” took place from 8 to 11 December. There were special insights and dialogues at the conclusion of the BMBF-funded project German-Canadian Research Cooperation on the Integration of Refugees.
Series of events
“Successful labour market integration of young refugees – Canadian and German approaches” | 13. November 2019 | Cloppenburg
On November 13, the first event of a series (five events that will be organized all over Germany) took place in the Science Shop Vechta/ Cloppenburg. Together with the project SKM “Soziale Kompetenzen für Auszubildende und Mediationstraining für Ausbilder*innen” [project for social competences for apprentices and mediation-training for educators], the project Integration CAN-D organized an exchange on strategies and research results in the field of labour market integration of newcomers in Canada and Germany. Following a contribution by Karin Zimmer, Nicola Mühlhäußer and Mohja Alia (ISANS, Immigrant Association of Nova Scotia) on structural conditions and strategies of labour market integration of refugees in Canada, representatives of various institutions of the districts of Vechta and Cloppenburg as well as a very interested audience discussed the topic. Invitation and poster
Integration CAN-D’s Summer School
From September 9 to 13, 2019 the project Integration CAN-D organized a Summer School for Early Career Researchers at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. Emerging researchers in their late doctoral or early post-doc phase from Canada and Germany came together with international experts for an exchange in the field of refugee studies. 22 young academics (including seven from Canada) and nine experts participated at the Summer School. In addition to five keynotes from international experts and one workshop on the topic knowledge transfer and mobilization, the participants had the opportunity to work on their own projects in intensive small working groups and to get together with local organizations, working with newcomers in Munich.
Program leaflet, agenda, and poster
Research workshops
4. Research workshop |16. – 18. March 2020 | Winnipeg, Canada | CANCELLED
— Due to the Corona-crisis the workshop unfortunately had to be cancelled —
The fourth joint research workshop of Integration CAN-D takes place at the University of Manitobaor, on March 16-18, 2020. The topics are “Participation in Civil Society – the Roles of Newcomers and the Host Society“ and “Trauma – Mental Health and Wellbeing“. Invitation
3. Research workshop | 09. – 11. April 2019 | Toronto, Canada
The third joint research workshop of Integration CAN-D took place at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) in Toronto, on April 9-11, 2019. The topics were “Language and Literacy”, “Teacher Education”, and “Mental health and Wellbeing”. Program information
2. Research workshop | 12. – 14. Dezember 2018 | Heidelberg
The second joint research workshop of Integration CAN-D took place at the Transferzentrum of the PH Heidelberg, University of Education, on December 12-14, 2018. The topic was “Knowledge transfer/mobilization in refugee research: Experiences and concepts from Germany and Canada”. Program information and a short report
1. Research workshop | 29. – 31. August 2018 | Frankfurt am Main
The first Integration-CAN-D Research Workshop took place on August 29-31, 2018 in Frankfurt at the DIPF. It dealed with the topics “Doing research with refugee participants: Experience and challenges”, “Diagnostic Language tests: Standardized methods and new developments”, “Facilitating the exchange of research materials, instruments and data”. Program information and a short report
National and international conferences
2019 AERA Annual Meeting | April 5 – 9, 2019 | Toronto, Canada
Integration CAN-D designed at the AERA 2019 two Roundtables regarding the topic of the german-canadian collaborative research in cooperation with the International Sessions of the ICE (International Cooperation in Education). Program information
Founding Workshop „Transfer in der Fluchtforschung – Erfahrungen und Reflexion“ |
April 1 – 2, 2019 | Hildesheim
The project Integration CAN-D presented “Schwerpunkte des Transfers in der Fluchtforschung in Deutschland und Kanada” at the workshop of the German Network of Forced Migration Researchers in Hildesheim. Program information
Conference of The German Network of Forced Migration Researchers | October 4 – 6, 2018 | Eichstätt
Integration CAN-D organized for the conference of the German Network of orced Migration in Eichstätt a Panel (Session 4.5) regarding the topic “Research-Cooperation Network between Canada and Germany on the Integration of Refugees”. Program information
2018 AERA Annual Meeting | April 13 – 17, 2018 | New York, USA
Projects of the Network Integration CAN-D presented their work at the AERA 2018. Program information
Presentations
October 6, 2019 | Eichstätt
Presentation at the conference of The German Network of Forced Migration Researchers under the session „AG International: International Networks in Forced Migration Studies: Opportunities and Challenges“.
April 2, 2019 | University of Hildesheim
Presentation with the topic “Schwerpunkte des Transfers in der Fluchtforschung in Deutschland und Kanada” as part of the Founding Workshop “Transfer in der Fluchtforschung-Erfahrungen und Reflexion”.
June 13, 2018 | Universität Hamburg
Presentation at invitation of Prof. Dr. Ingrid Gogolin in Hamburg.
March 2, 2018 | Berlin
Presentation as part of the “Canada-Germany Commission for Scientific & Technological Cooperation” (WTZ).
Selected Publications
Gonser, M, Zimmer, K, Mühlhäußer, N., & Gluns D. (Eds.) (2020). Wissensmobilisierung und Transfer in der Fluchtforschung: Kommunikation, Beratung und gemeinsames Forschungshandeln. [Knowledge mobilization and transfer in refugee research. Communication, counseling and joint research action], with contributions in English and German. Münster:Waxmann. https://doi.org/10.31244/9783830992370 
The original English-language articles by the Canadian contributors have been translated into German by Integration CAN-D and are available open-access via the VET Repository of the Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training):
- Chia-Kangata, S., Lachance, L. & Ungar, M. Integrierte Wissensmobilisierung: Vielversprechende Praktiken aus zwei kanadischen Projekten. [Integrated Knowledge Mobilization. Promising Practices from Two Canadian Projects]
- Atallah, N. & Boyter, J. Forschung und Wissensmobilisierung: Die Rolle von Dienstleistungsanbietern zur Ansiedlung in Kanada. [The Role of Canadian Settlement Service Providers in Research and Knowledge Mobilization]
- Zimmer, K. & Mühlhäußer, N. Deutsch-kanadische Forschungszusammenarbeit zur Integration von Geflüchteten: Transferleistungen im Projekt Integration CAN-D. [Integration CAN-D. The Canadian-German Research Cooperation on the Integration of Refugees].
Korntheuer, A., Pritchard, P., Maehler, D. B., & Wilkinson, L. (Eds.). (2020). Refugees in Canada and Germany: From Research to Policies and Practice (GESIS-Schriftenreihe, 25). Köln: GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.66728 
Buchwald, S. (2019). [Interview with Katrin Lindner about the project Integration CAN-D and the cooperation with Canadian researchers]. Süddeutsche Zeitung on 9 September 2019.
Korntheuer, A., Pritchard, P., & Maehler, D. B. (Eds.). (2017). Structural context of refugee integration in Canada and Germany. GESIS Series, vol. 15.
