Papers submission Deadline on 15/04 - Degrees in Transition: Higher Education and Labour Market Integration of Newcomers and Refugees

📢 Call for Papers: Expert Workshop

Degrees in Transition: Higher Education and Labour Market Integration of Newcomers and Refugees

📅 11–12 June 2026

📍 Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels

As part of the Flemish Science Agency (FWO)-funded SBO research project From Camp to Campus, we invite submissions for an international expert workshop that will bring together scholars working at the intersection of higher education, labour market integration, and newcomer trajectories.

The workshop aims to create a space for in-depth discussion, collective reflection, and knowledge exchange, rather than a conventional conference format. Contributions will receive extensive feedback and encourage dialogue across disciplines, methods, and national contexts.

We welcome empirical contributions (quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, or computational) addressing topics such as:

• Transitions from secondary education to higher education and/or transitions from higher education into employment for newcomers

• Institutional arrangements linking universities, employers, and integration policies

• Social investment approaches in higher education supporting refugee and newcomer inclusion

• Recognition of qualifications, skills matching, and credentialing pathways

• Higher education support services and institutional practices (e.g., admission policies, bridging programmes, mentoring, career guidance)

• Obstacles and coping strategies experienced by newcomers, as well as by service providers such as university admission offices, student support units, and employment agencies

• Inequalities and stratification in education-to-work trajectories

• Comparative perspectives across countries, regions, or policy regimes

📄 Submission: Extended abstract (max. 1,000 words) outlining the research question, data and methods, and key contributions.

https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/81330/submitter

⏳ Submission deadline: 15 April 2026

✉️ Notification of acceptance: 20 April 2026

Following the workshop, a selection of contributions will be invited for a proposed special issue in an international peer-reviewed journal.