We’re delighted to announce the launch of the Call for Papers, Panels, and Workshops for the IRIS 2026 international conference, titled Unsettling Communities: Diversity, Mobility and Displacement in an Age of Growing Authoritarianism. The conference will take place on 7–9 September 2026 at the University of Birmingham, UK. Abstracts should be submitted electronically, using the online... Continue Reading →
Public talk by Prof David Scott FitzGerald, University of California San Diego jointly hosted by IRIS and POLSIS, University of Birmingham, 2 February, 4-5.30 PM Follow this link to reserve a place We often hear that the world faces an unprecedented crisis of forced displacement. Organizations like the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), International Organization for... Continue Reading →
After fourteen years of Conservative governments defined by the infamous hostile environment launched by Home Secretary Theresa May, a new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, seems eager to build her political profile by weaponising the migration issue once again. The search for a new catchphrase may still be on, but the underlying message feels all too... Continue Reading →
We are delighted to announce our seminar series for this academic term. All seminars are free and open to the public. They will be held in Room 1150, Muirhead Tower, University of Birmingham. In the first seminar on 20 October, Nando Sigona examines the migration agenda of the Labour government in its first year in... Continue Reading →
Two-day workshop organised by the Centre for Refugee Studies (York University, Canada) and IRIS on 26-27 September 2024 offers an opportunity for early career researchers to share their thinking and contributions about the future of refugee integration research. Intellectual debate around migrant settlement and adaptation has been ongoing in Western nations for nearly a century.... Continue Reading →
Check out the latest version of the Conference programme, which includes 33 panels, 5 workshops, 4 semi-plenaries and two keynote talks by Nandita Sharma and Nasar Meer. The code of conduct for delegates is also online on our conference page. The book of abstracts is now online!
The Call for Proposals for individual papers, pre-organised panels and workshops for IRIS international conference to be held at The Exchange, University of Birmingham on 5-6 September 2024 is open. Deadline to submit proposal via the online portal is 27 March 2024. Rapidly shifting geopolitical alliances and power asymmetries in an increasingly multipolar landscape rekindle... Continue Reading →
Citizenship tests are much more than tests. They often represent forms of ‘linguistic borders’ to be negotiated. Drawing on a decade of work in this area, Dr Kamran Khan will theorise how these borders function beyond their educational role. Furthermore, he will use the concept of ‘becoming’ as a means to centre the individual and... Continue Reading →
We are delighted to host Professor Andrew Geddes, director of Migration Policy Centre at the European University Institute, at IRiS. He has contributed seminal work on migration governance and the politics of immigration in Europe and globally and is uniquely positioned to reflect on the nexus between migration policy and governance in the age of... Continue Reading →
The programme of IRiS seminar series is out. We are hosting three exciting conversations with internationally renown scholars in the field. The seminars are free and open. Please email a.bolstridge@bham.ac.uk to reserve a place. We look forward to seeing many of you at the seminars! 24 October, 3.30-5pm, Gisbert Kapp, room 224 Thinking decoloniality through an... Continue Reading →
Conversations with Iris: Podcast on migration, diversity and displacement
The Age of Superdiversity 