Logo Logo

3rd Integrated Conference of the Volkswagen Study Group on Migration and Integration: The Interface Between Migration Research and Policy Making

Organizers: Amelie F. Constant (Temple University), Konstantinos Tatsiramos (University of Luxembourg and IZA), Klaus F. Zimmermann (University of Bonn)
Location:Post Tower, Bonn
Date:November 22, 2007 - November 24, 2007

Event Manager:
Ulrike Maurer (IZA)

Aim of the Conference
Currently, migration is one of the most burning and visible issues in many countries around the world. The path to an orderly and beneficial labor migration for all concerned players (host countries, immigrants, sending countries) is not without difficulties. In our globalized world and in the information age we are living, issues of selection, integration, and multiculturalism are all the more complex and demanding. Migration researchers from all social sciences have been studying these issues for years, and have made many advances and contributions to the field. The scholars’ job is to study the phenomena, understand them, and come up with robust findings. Policy makers have also been concerned with these issues and trying to grapple with them. However, there is a serious gap in the interface between researchers and policy makers. While the necessity for further migration research still applies, two crucial questions arise: How can researchers effectively communicate with and share their findings with policy makers? How can politicians understand and use research findings to achieve a win-win situation in their difficult road to implement policies avoiding unintended consequences and please the public? This conference aims to bridge this gap by bringing researchers and policy makers closer together, by opening a constructive dialogue, by inspiring further dialogue and cooperation among stakeholders, and by emphasizing the importance of connecting scientific research to policy recommendations.

Program

Thursday, November 22:

18:30 - 20:00   Reception at Hilton Hotel, Bonn
 

Friday, November 23:

09:00 - 09:15   Welcome Address

Klaus F. Zimmermann (IZA, University of Bonn, DIW Berlin)

Alfred Schmidt (Volkswagen Foundation)
 
09:15 - 09:45   Keynote Address 1
Chair: Klaus F. Zimmermann (IZA, University of Bonn, DIW Berlin)

"Migration Policy, Migration Research – Challenges and Prospects"

Dimitria Clayton (Ministry for Intergenerational Affairs, Family, Women and Integration, North Rhine-Westphalia)
representing Armin Laschet (Minister of Intergenerational Affairs, Family, Women and Integration, North Rhine-Westphalia)
 
09:45 - 10:00   Coffee/Tea Break
 
10:00 - 10:30   Keynote Address 2
Chair: Klaus F. Zimmermann (IZA, University of Bonn, DIW Berlin)

“Is Everything Wrong Germans Know About Immigration?”

Barbara John (Berlin Senate Commissioner for Migration and Integration 1981-2003, Berlin Senate Coordinator of Language Training for Migrants)
 
10:30 - 12:30   Plenary Session

"How to Talk to the General Public About Migration"

Chair: Amelie Constant (Georgetown Public Policy Institute, Georgetown University, DIW DC, IZA)

Dimitria Clayton (Ministry for Intergenerational Affairs, Family, Women and Integration, North Rhine-Westphalia)

Jeroen M.J. Doomernik (University of Amsterdam, IMES)

Timothy J. Hatton (University of Essex, UK, Australian National University, IZA)

Barbara John (Berlin Senate Commissioner for Migration and Integration 1981-2003, Berlin Senate Coordinator of Language Training for Migrants)

Klaus F. Zimmermann (IZA, University of Bonn, DIW Berlin)
 
12:30 - 14:00   Lunch
 
14:00 - 16:00   Parallel Sessions
 
        Session 1: Education, Integration and Policy Making
Chair: Uta Quasthoff (University of Dortmund)
 
       
14:00 - 14:30 Anette Haas (Institute for Employment Research (IAB)), Andreas Damelang (Institute for Employment Research (IAB))
"Migration and Labour Market Integration from a Regional Perspective - Does Cultural Diversity matter?"
 
14:30 - 15:00Francesco D’Amuri (Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei and ISER, University of Essex), Gianmarco I.P. Ottaviano (Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, Univerista’ di Bologna and CEPR), Giovanni Peri (University of California, Davis and NBER)
"The Labor Market Impact of Immigrants in West Germany"
 
15:00 - 16:00Maurice Crul (University of Amsterdam)
"The Integration of the European Second Generation"
 
 
        Session 2: Cultural Capital, Ethnic Capital and Labor Market Policies
Chair: Karin Schittenhelm (University of Siegen)
 
       
14:00 - 14:30 Anja Weiß (University of Duisburg)
"The Experience of Legal Exclusion. What Does It Teach Us About Migration Legislation and Administration? What Is the Position of Social Science in this Highly Politicized Field?"
 
14:30 - 15:00Karin Schittenhelm (University of Siegen), Eleni Hatzidimitriadou (University of Kent)
"Migration and Education as an Issue for Policy Recommendation: Second Generation Perspectives in a German-British Comparison"
 
15:00 - 15:30Martin Kahanec (IZA), Mehmet Tosun (University of Nevada-Reno)
"Political Economy of Immigration in Germany: Attitudes and Citizenship Aspirations"
 
15:30 - 16:00Anzelika Zaiceva (IZA), Klaus F. Zimmermann (IZA, University of Bonn, DIW Berlin)
"Children, Kitchen, Church: Does Ethnicity Matter?"
 
 
16:00 - 16:30   Coffee/Tea Break
 
16:30 - 18:00   Presentations by Newly Funded Volkswagen Study Groups
Chair: Jens Schneider (University of Amsterdam)
 
        Matilde Grünhage Monetti (German Institute for Adult Education (DIE)*)), Martin Hartung (DIE)
  "Researching Workplace Communication towards Developing L2 Provision at/for the Workplace"
 
        Uta Quasthoff (TU Dortmund*))
  "Literacy between Languages and Cultures: Resource and Obstacle to Integration"
 
        Michael Bommes (University of Osnabrück*)), Christoph Schroeder (Bilgi University Istanbul/ University of Potsdam), Ulrich Mehlem (IMIS, University of Osnabrück), Inken Sürig (IMIS, University of Osnabrück)
  "Literacy Acquisition in Schools in the Context of Migration and Multilingualism: A Comparative Study Turkey/ Germany. Project Outline & State of the Art."
 
        Ludger Pries (Ruhr University Bochum*))
  "Transnational Migrant Organisations in Europe - Integrating Whom and Where"
 
19:00       Conference Dinner
 

Saturday, November 24:

        Session 3: Integration Policies
Chair: Amelie Constant (Georgetown Public Policy Institute, Georgetown University, DIW DC, IZA)
 
09:00 - 10:00   Christiane Falge (University of Bremen*)), Giulia Bigot (University of Trento), Saime Ozcurumez (McGill University), Maria Laura Russo (University of Trento), Ulla Wittig (University Hospital Leipzig), Lloy Wylie (University of British Columbia)
  "Political Advocacy and Civic Engagement: The Case of Immigrants Participation in the Health Systems of Canada, Italy and Germany"
 
        Session 4: Migration and Public Life
Chair: Amelie Constant (Georgetown Public Policy Institute, Georgetown University, DIW DC, IZA)
 
10:00 - 11:00   Rüdiger Lautmann (Institute for Research on Security and Prevention (ISIP)*))
  "Organizational and Societal Interests in Conflict: About the Difficulties of Scientific Research to Intervene in Organizational Practices"
 
11:00 - 11:15   Coffee/Tea Break
 
11:15 - 13:00   Final Discussion, Assessment and Further Planning
Chair: Alfred Schmidt (Volkswagen Foundation)
 
13:00 - 14:00   Lunch
 



*) current affiliation