MARS: Non-Western Migration Regimes

The MARS Project successfully held its Mid-Term Conference & Workshop in Istanbul on 13–15 April 2026, bringing together scholars, policymakers, and international organisations to discuss migration governance beyond Western-centric frameworks. Read more: shorturl.at/Sdwqb

As part of her secondment within MARS project, Dr. Kristina Šliavaitė from @VU_LT was hosted by the Migrant Info organisation in Tashkent and had an opportunity to discuss her research and consult with experts on migration trends in Uzbekistan.

Dr Saara Koikkalainen from @UniEastFinland reflects on her secondment at @AUC, examining Egypt as a key migration destination amid regional conflict and EU migration partnerships. Insights on Sudanese displacement, governance & Global South perspectives. shorturl.at/4tJL7

Vilnius University is organising a MARS seminar on Feb 4 on migration, youth futures, and digital imaginaries. Dr. Arifah Arum Candra Hayuningsih discusses #KaburAjaDulu and how Indonesian youth imagine mobility amid uncertainty.

New on the MARS blog! John Narh from the University of Ghana reflects on his MARS secondment at Marmara University—sharing insights on research, mobility challenges, and the generosity that shaped his stay in Istanbul. shorturl.at/U5zMy

How do Global North migration categories shape how mobility is understood elsewhere? This MARS blog post by Dr Leander Kandilige reflects on a Leiden fellowship and discusses “irregularisation” as a lens to rethink internal migration in Ghana. shorturl.at/6ftSV

MARS researcher Dr Saara Koikkalainen from @UniEastFinland talked about “Cognitive Migration” at the American University in Cairo as part of her secondment, examining how imagined futures and prospective thinking shape migration decisions before movement occurs.

Dr Urinboyev and Dr Eraliev presented research on Uzbek and Central Asian migration at the Law Enforcement Academy’s international conference. Their talks explored digital transmobility and shifting migration flows toward Northern Europe. Press release: shorturl.at/nsaqx

The MARS project contributed a special panel at #CESS2025, presenting new research on: • Chinese mobility under the Belt and Road • Gendered insecurities among Uzbek women migrants • Bureaucratic barriers for Kazakh returnees shorturl.at/B54Hm

Project members participated in the roundtable on Illiberalism and Migration in Russia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, which discussed how migration both sustains and challenges illiberal governance across Eurasia. shorturl.at/WbsJE #Aleksanteri2025 @shrzderaliev

Sakhodulla Shomirzaev, a researcher from Uzbekistan’s Law Enforcement Academy reflects on a month at @lunduniversity — exploring anti-corruption practices, academic culture & research infrastructure in Sweden. 🔗 Read more: shorturl.at/wU4UB

Dr. Avazbek Komilov (Law Enforcement Academy of Uzbekistan) shares insights from his one-month research stay at @lunduniversity — exploring Sweden’s academic culture & building new collaborations. 🔗 Read more: shorturl.at/EJKYG

New #MARSProject blog! Agus Indiyanto (UGM, Indonesia) shares his “academic merantau” at @UniLeiden — how secondment became an intellectual pilgrimage of reflection & transformation. 🔗 Read: shorturl.at/bJKKs #AcademicMobility #Anthropology #Merantau

Tiina Sotkasiira (@UniEastFinland ) shares insights from her secondment to the @BristolUni. She reflects on how migration governance does not end at the border but continues to shape everyday lives long after resettlement. Read the full blog post here: shorturl.at/rouRa

Vishwesh Sundar (@UniLeiden) shares insights from his 2025 secondment at @NUedukz. How are sanctions on Russia reshaping remittances to Central Asia? Alternatives, adaptation & crypto. 🔗 Read: shorturl.at/gZMYu #Migration #Remittances #CentralAsia

MARS project researcher Sezgi Durgun from Marmara University shared about her research on the similarities and differences of the migration policies of Türkiye and Indonesia published on the national newspaper. You can find this interesting read here: shorturl.at/pvjep

In June 14-27 2025, dr Kristina Šliavaitė from Vilnius University (Lithuania) was hosted by the “Migrant Info” in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Kristina carried out pilot research focusing on the ways Uzbek women narrate their experiences and plans of migration and re-migration.

Prof Franklin Obeng-Odoom @obeng_odoom from the University of Helsinki (Finland) is currently conducting secondment at Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia. Tomorrow he will be delivering a guest lecture on the topic of "Smart Cities on the Move".

MARS project researcher @UrinboyevRustam talked about Russia and the migration issues following the start of the war in Ukraine in this podcasat by @IMISCOE . Listen now on Spotify.

New project policy brief: “Rethinking Turkey’s Refugee Policies” by Osman Yıldırım (LU) explores how over 3M Syrians face policy ambivalence, labor exploitation & xenophobia. Key recs for equitable reform now online. Read: shorturl.at/bbYLl #Refugees #Turkey #PolicyBrief