Never before have experts from the diaspora been so prominent in migration research—yet there remains a wide gap between aspiration and reality. The panel explores how the contributions already made to migration research—ranging from the analysis of how the African continent is portrayed in school textbooks to diaspora research, indigenous knowledge, and decolonial approaches to knowledge production—can be better integrated. At the same time, community perspectives will be incorporated: How do diaspora experts evaluate current research, where do they see gaps, and what kind of support do they hope to receive from the academic community?
The discussion will also explore how participatory research in collaboration with diaspora organizations and experts can be successful. How can migrant communities and migrant scholars be more strongly involved in research processes on an equal footing—and what concrete experiences and examples of this already exist? How can we ensure that migrant perspectives are not merely the subject of research, but that migrant scholars and diaspora actors are actively involved in the development and implementation of research projects from the very beginning? Finally, the focus turns to political relevance: Which topics—such as racism, diaspora perspectives, colonialism, gender, or Indigenous knowledge—are neglected from a diaspora perspective?
Podium
Katharina Oke
is a research associate at the Institute for Contemporary History at the University of Graz and a researcher with the project Advancing Equality Within The Austrian School System - AEWTASS. She studied journalism and African studies in Vienna. She subsequently completed a doctoral program in African History/Global History at the University of Oxford. In 2018, she earned her Ph.D. on newspaper culture in Nigeria with the dissertation “The Politics of the Public Sphere: English-language and Yoruba-language Print Culture in Colonial Lagos, 1880s–1940s.” Since September 2022, she has been a Marie Curie Global Fellow in partnership with the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. As part of this project—“A History of Making Things in West Africa”—she is conducting research on entrepreneurial activities, (art)craft production, and knowledge production in Accra and Lagos.
Daniela Paredes Grijalva
is an anthropologist and migrant scholar whose work examines migration,environmental justice, and human rights through intersectional and decolonial approaches. She explores mobility as an ordinarycondition of contemporary life and a fundamental dimension of how people create belonging, community, and futures across borders. As a migrant scholar based in Austria, she combines academic research with extensive engagement in migrant-centered and civil society initiatives.
Dunia Khalil
is a long-time legal advisor specializing in anti-racism and online hate. As a certified trainer, she leads workshops on various topics related to anti-discrimination. Her work focuses on racist police violence and anti-Muslim racism. She is active at both the national and international levels in various networks, working groups, and organizations. She currently heads the legal advisory service at the Documentation Center on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism, as well as that of the Anti-Racism Unit at the University of Vienna.
Moderator: Michael Fanizadeh
is a political scientist and deputy executive director of VIDC, as well as project coordinator at VIDC Global Dialogue. His areas of expertise include migration and development, the climate crisis and displacement, human rights and anti-discrimination, and diaspora engagement.