Link4Skills

Lecture: ‘Migration-Skill Corridors from Settler Colonial Perspectives: the case of Canada’
2026-06-11 16:00 - 18:00 UTC
You are warmly invited to the lecture ‘Migration-Skill Corridors from Settler Colonial Perspectives: the case of Canada’delivered by Prof. Anna Triandafyllidou, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University and is the Founding Director of TMU’s Global Migration Institute.This event is part of the ongoing exploration of skill development for a resilient Europe within the framework of the hashtag#Link4Skills project (https://link4skills.eu/), funded by the European Union (Horizon 2023).

Lecture: ‘Migration Skill Corridors - Opportunities and Limits for Labour Migration Policy’
2026-04-09 16:00 - 17:00 UTC
You are warmly invited to the lecture ‘Migration Skill Corridors: Opportunities and Limits for Labour Migration Policy’delivered by Prof. Godfried Engbersen, Emeritus Professor of General Sociology at Erasmus University Rotterdam.This event is part of the ongoing exploration of skill development for a resilient Europe within the framework of the #Link4Skills project (https://link4skills.eu/), funded by the European Union (Horizon 2023).

🌐 Location: Online

❗𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓: The meeting link will be sent to registered participants after the registration closes.

Registration open until April 1.

Register here:

🔗 https://lnkd.in/d4EC6hCv

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=jQ5CRVKFA0qbkqkx74OdP8YvYraQ8SpChbjPrAl3GuNUM1NaQTlVWEFTUjFIRE5WS0RLVVdNRE9PSi4u&route=shorturl

Transparency of qualifications and sustainability of migration: problems and solutions
2025-11-04 16:00 - 17:30 UTC
Link4Skills lecture (webinar): “Transparency of qualifications and sustainability of migration: problems and solutions” delivered by Prof. Vidmantas Tutlys, researcher at the Education Academy, Institute of Educational research at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas (Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas), Lithuania.

This event is part of the ongoing exploration of skill development for a resilient Europe within the framework of the Link4Skills / L4S project (https://link4skills.eu/), funded by the European Union (Horizon 2023).

Abstract

Recognition of learning outcomes and qualifications is a highly important institutional factor of labour migration policy. It defines and structures accessibility of the employment and training opportunities for the migrant workers in the destination and origin countries. When the qualifications and competences of the migrant workers acquired in their home countries are not properly recognized in the countries of destination, the negative implications, such as over-qualification caused by the mismatch of the job with the qualification of the migrant worker makes the employment and training pathways more complicated for the migrant workers and impedes the enterprises in the destination countries to solve their faced skills shortages by employing migrant workers.

Referring to the findings of the research conduced in the Horizon Europe project “Skills4Justice” this lecture discloses the perspectives of the enterprises, trade unions, policy makers in the origin and destination countries concerning the issues related to the recognition of qualifications and competences of the migrant workers. It discusses the attitudes and views of the labour migrants on these issues. Finally, it reviews the potential of the national systems of qualifications, regional qualifications frameworks and other international or multi-country transparency tools to ensure transparent, fair and valid assessment and recognition of the competences and qualifications of the migrant workers.

Discussants: Prof. Dr. Izabela Grabowska

*** Prof. Vidmantas Tūtlys is a coordinator of Horizon Europe (sister project) Skills4Justice

Ukrainian Female War Migrants: Mobilising Resources for Prospective Social Remittances
2025-06-26 16:00 - 17:00 UTC
You are warmly invited to the lecture “Ukrainian Female War Migrants: Mobilising Resources for Prospective Social Remittances” delivered by Prof. Izabela Grabowska, the Scientific Coordinator of Link4Skills. This event is part of the ongoing exploration of skill development for a resilient Europe within the framework of the Link4Skills project (https://link4skills.eu/), funded by the European Union (Horizon 2023).

Details:

📅 Date: June 26, 2025

⏰ Time: 16:00 CET

🌐 Location: Online

🔗 Registration link: https://forms.gle/5H215xX6Qvi6jsWg6

❗𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓: The meeting link will be sent to registered participants after the registration closes ( until June 24).

This lecture explores the experiences of Ukrainian women who have migrated in the context of war, with a focus on how they mobilise personal, social, and institutional resources to generate prospective social remittances. Prof. Dr. Izabela Grabowska, drawing on empirical research and conceptual insights, will examine how war-induced migration shapes new patterns of resource mobilisation and influences future contributions to migrants’ home and host societies. Special attention will be given to: 1) The gendered dynamics of forced migration and integration. 2) The construction and transfer of prospective social remittances through informal and formal networks. 3) The role of psychological and social capital among female migrants. 4) The potential long-term impacts of these remittances on Ukrainian post-war reconstruction and social development. The presentation will be enriched by the analytical support of Dr. Ivanna Kyliushyk and Emil Chról, and followed by critical reflections from experts in migration and Ukrainian studies, Prof. Iryna Lapshyna and Dr. Valentyna Zasadko.This event offers valuable insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners interested in migration, gender, post-conflict recovery, and transnational social change.With contributions from book co-authors: Dr. Ivanna Kyliushyk, Kozminski University and Emil Chról, University of Warsaw, Kozminski UniversityDiscussants: Prof. Iryna Lapshyna, Ukrainian Catholic University and Dr. Valentyna Zasadko, Ukrainian Catholic University***Prof. Izabela Grabowska, Ph.D., D.Sc. is a Professor of Social Sciences, sociologist, and economist. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Warsaw, an M.A. in Economics from University College Dublin, and an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Wrocław. Her professorial proceedings in social sciences were conducted by the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFiS PAN). She is a recipient of the Foundation for Polish Science Fellowship and has held research fellowships at Humboldt University in Berlin (ERC grant), Utrecht University (visiting professor), and University College London (visiting scholar). Full Professor of Social Sciences Department of Economics and Leader of CRASH Center For Research on Social Change and Human Mobility at Kozminski University.

Mobility of International Students and Trainees into the EU - Cosmopolitanism Meets Migration Management
2025-06-17 16:00 - 17:00 UTC
You are warmly invited to the lecture “Mobility of International Students and Trainees into the EU – Cosmopolitanism meets Migration Management” delivered by Prof. Tesseltje de Lange (Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands), a member of the Link4Skills Advisory Board.

This event is part of the ongoing exploration of skill development for a resilient Europe within the framework of the Link4Skills project (https://link4skills.eu/), funded by the European Union (Horizon 2023).

Please send information to your colleagues and every one, who might be interested.

Details:📅 Date: June: 17, 2025⏰ Time: 16:00 CET🌐 Location: Online

🔗 Registration link Registration open until June 15.

❗𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓: The meeting link will be sent to registered participants after the registration closes.

This lecture kicks-off with an assessment of legal migration pathways for international students and trainees into the EU. The international mobility of students and trainees was traditionally focused on cosmopolitanism and development goals which resulted in the EU Students and Researchers Directive. Retaining sought after international talents for EU labour markets was, and still is, a prominent policy goal. However, reflecting broader shifts in the policy and political environment, visa’s for students and trainees have also come to be seen as a leverage and bargaining chips to enhance cooperation with third countries on migration management e.g. forced return. Notwithstanding, the lecture suggests ways forward for the EU towards a more global strategy for skills, development and migration.

Discussant: Dr. Julia Reinold

***

Tesseltje de Lange is Professor of European Migration Law and Director of the Centre for Migration Law at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. She is an expert on labour migration policy, migrant worker rights, and legal practice. She published widely and speaks regularly on policy conundrums related to irregular and regular migration pathways into the EU. A renowned socio-legal scholar, De Lange serves as Principal Investigator on EU HorizonEurope projects DignityFIRM (www.dignityform.eu) on the rights of low-waged (irregular) migrant workers in European Farm2Fork sectors and HorizonEurope www.GS4S.eu, investigating the role of migration in addressing skills shortages in Europe. Her latest book was published with CUP in 2021 on Money Matters in Migration, and her work is published in amongst others the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, the European Journal of Migration and Law, Work Employment and Society, International Migration, and Comparative Migration Studies.

Julia Reinold is a postdoctoral researcher at Erasmus University Rotterdam, specializing in high-skilled migration. She is currently working on the Link4Skills project, where she oversees a multi-country survey on skilled migrants’ mobility experiences and aspirations. Until recently, Julia was also affiliated with Maastricht University’s Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross-border cooperation and Mobility (ITEM), where she contributed to a study on the internationalisation of higher education in the Netherlands.

The Social Construction of Skill in International LaborMigration: Perspectives from Asia
2025-05-12 00:30 - 01:00 UTC
You are warmly invited to the lecture “The Social Construction of Skill in International Labor Migration: Perspectives from Asia” delivered by Prof. Gracia Liu-Farrer, a member of the Link4Skills Advisory Board. This event is part of the ongoing exploration of skill development for a resilient Europe within the framework of the Link4Skills project (hIps://link4skills.eu/), funded by the European Union (Horizon 2023).

Abstract:Skill-based selective migration policies are a dominant contemporary form of migration governance in labor receiving countries. Researchers have critiqued these policies, noting discrepancies between their intended goals and the actual labor market outcomes for immigrants. The social construction of skill offers a sociological interpretation of this migration phenomenon, emphasizing that skills and their categorization in international migration are intrinsically political. Skills are socially constructed by actors in specific local, national, transnational and global contexts. This presentation reviews scholarship that explores these dynamics from Asian perspectives. It identifies the various positions countries in Asia occupy in skill mobility, highlights the critical issues related to both outbound and inbound skill migration in this region, as well as intra-regional mobilties. It cautions against a reproduction of skill hierarchy in social science research and advocates a social construction approach to analyzing skill mobilities in different world regions.Discussants:TBA

Gracia Liu-Farrer is Professor of sociology at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, and Director of Institute of Asian Migration at Waseda University, Japan. Her research examines immigration into Japan, transnational labor and student mobilities in East Asia as well as between Asia and Europe. She hopes to bring Asian experiences to migration and mobility theorization. Her recent books include Handbook of Asian Migrations (with Brenda Yeoh, Routledge, 2018), Immigrant Japan: Mobility and Belonging in an Ethno-nationalist Society (Cornell University Press, 2020), Tangled Mobilities: Places, Affects, and Personhood across Social Spheres in Asian Migration (with Asuncion Fresnoza-Flot, Berghahn Books, 2022), and The Question of Skill in Cross-border Labour Mobilities (with Brenda Yeoh and Michele Baas, Taylor & Francis, 2023). She has published journal articles and book chapters on migrants ranging from Chinese students, Nepali restaurant workers to Syrian refugees.

Event Details:

Project website: https://link4skills.euDate and Time: May 12, 2025Location: OnlineRegistration open until May 10: Forms❗𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓: The meeting link will be sent to registered participants after the registrationcloses.LinkedIn event details: HEREFacebook event details: HERE

Labour Migration and Fair Recruitment for Decent Work: Addressing Irregular Migration
2025-03-25 04:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris)
Speaker: Charles Allan Kwenin, Chief Executive Officer of IMPRAC, Ghana

Discussant: Maegan Hendow (ICMPD), Prof. Mary Setrana, University of Ghana

Description: This session will examine fair recruitment practices and strategies to address irregular migration, with a focus on ethical and sustainable approaches to labour mobility.

Format: Online

About the speaker:

Charles Allan Kwenin has over 30 years experience in migration policy and practice with the International Organization for Migration (The UN Migration Agency). Until his retirement in 2022, Mr. Kwenin served as the IOM Regional Director for Southern Africa providing strategic direction and policy support to 15 Countries in the Southern Africa Region as well as COMESA, IOC and SADC. He also served as the Senior Regional Advisor for Africa to the IOM Director General at its Headquarters in Geneva for 8 years. Prior to that Mr. Kwenin served as IOM Chief of Mission to Ethiopia and IOM Representative to the Africa Union Commission (AUC), UNECA and IGAD. He also served in various capacities in IOM in Kenya, Uganda and Brussels. Mr. Kwenin was the lead Consultant for drafting the African Union Migration Policy Framework for Africa and the African Common Position on Migration and Development adopted in Banjul, The Gambia in 2006. Mr. Kwenin also pioneered the establishment of the Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFOM) a continental platform for inter-state and intra-regional consultations on Migration in Africa. Mr. Kwenin coordinated the drafting of the Bilateral Labour Agreement (BLA) between the governments of Ghana and Mauritius. Mr. Kwenin was very instrumental in the establishment of various Regional Consultative Processes for the African Regional Economic Communities including; ECOWAS, IGAD, COMESA, ECCAS and IOC. From 2022 – 2024, Mr. Kwenin was Co-Editor for the IOM Migration Policy and Practice and the Editor-in Chief for the Southern Africa Migration Report. Prior to joining IOM, Mr. Kwenin worked for the Ghana Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning as an Economic Planning Office from 1985 until 1990. Mr Kwenin holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration and Management and a Post Graduate Diploma in Development Policy from the State University of Antwerp Belgium. He also holds a B.Sc (Hons) Degree in Development Planning from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST).

Balanced Labour Migration: Targeted Labour Migration Policy for General Well-Being
2025-03-13 04:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris)
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Monique Kremer, University of Amsterdam

Discussants: Prof. Helen Schwenken (University of Osnabrück), TBC and Prof. Godfried Engbersen (Erasmus University Rotterdam) TBC

Description: Prof. Kremer will discuss how well-targeted labour migration policies can foster well-being and address skill shortages, focusing on the balance between policy goals and societal impacts.

Format: Online

About the speaker:

Monique Kremer is chair of the Advisory Council on Migration and endowed professor of Active Citizenship at the University of Amsterdam. She has been affiliated with the Netherlands Institute for Care and Welfare, Utrecht University and the Scientific Council for Government Policy. Her research focuses on the labour market, labour migration and the practice of the welfare state in the super-diverse city.

From 2004 to March 2020, Monique was senior research fellow at the Scientific Council for Government Policy. At the WRR, Monique contributed to the reports The welfare state reweighted, Identification with the Netherlands (2007), Less pretension, more ambition. Development aid that makes a difference (2010), Making Migration Work. The future of labour migration in the EU (2012), How unequal is the Netherlands? (2014), Mastering the Robot (2015), For the sake of security (2017), The Fall of the Middle Class? The stable and vulnerable middle (2017) and Better work. The new social mission (2020).

Lecture “Skills for Ageing Europe: Migrants? Robots? Other?”
2025-02-20 04:00 - 17:30 (Europe/Berlin)
About the Lecture:

The European Skills Agenda and similar initiatives highlight the urgency of addressing labour market challenges in the context of an ageing population. This lecture critically examines two key approaches to skill shortages:

Migration, ensuring a sustainable influx of essential skills.

Technological Advancements, such as automation and AI.

Our speakers will also explore innovative and alternative solutions to enhance the resilience of European labour markets, drawing upon insights from the Horizon Europe project FutuRes

Featured Speakers:

Prof. Dr. Jakub Bijak

Dr. Emily Barker, University of Southampton

Discussants:

Prof. Aleksandra Przegalinska (Kozminski University)

Dr. Michaela Potancokova (IIASA

Jakub BIJAK works as a Professor of Statistical Demography at the University of Southampton,UK. He has background in economics and over 20 years’ work experience in academia andinternational civil service. His research focuses on demographic uncertainty, population andmigration models and forecasts, and the demography of armed conflict. He has been awardedthe Allianz European Demographer Award (2015) and the Jerzy Z Holzer Medal (2007) for workon migration modelling. Recently, he led a European Research Council project “Bayesianagent-based population studies” (www.baps-project.eu), and a Horizon 2020 project“QuantMig: Quantifying Migration Scenarios for Better Policy” (www.quantmig.eu).

Online

View Location

Registration open until February 17:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdN0P9C2T1FwwaC1LASIfMKAFAg1XAqx5ld_9maBA13W_2sRg/viewform

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/4289282711298716

LD: https://www.linkedin.com/events/skillsforageingeurope-migrants-7284996374574624768/comments/

3rd L4S Consortium Meeting
2024-07-03 17:30 - 19:30 UTC
The 3rd Link4Skills consortium meeting at the IMISCOE annual conference on July 3rd was a good chance to catch up and connect the dots between activities and work packages. The meeting included …

A work progress report from our scientific coordinator. Izabela Grabowska shared an update on our milestones achieved since the kick-off in Warsaw, setting a positive tone for our future endeavours.

An update on development of our Skill Shortage Model. Michaela Potancokova highlighted the advancements in demographic, occupation, and sectoral analyses, revealing promising trends and potential challenges in skill shortages.

An overview of L4S Migration Skill Corridors. Our colleagues, including Helen Schwenken, Anna Triandafyllidou, Marla Asis, Godfried Engbersen, Veronika Bilger, Johanna Ullmann and Maegan Hendow, provided insights into the concept, skill & talent partnerships’ inventory and upcoming fieldwork, emphasizing the importance of these corridors in addressing global skill gaps.

An update on development of the Link4Skills Navigator. Adam Wierzbicki showcased the latest updates in co-designing the Link4Skills Navigator, highlighting stakeholder participation and collaborative efforts.

A quick review of the project’s communication and impact strategy. Terry Martin discussed our strategy for effective communication, dissemination, and impact, outlining the essential contributions needed from all partners.

Special thanks to our hosts and the amazing team behind the IMISCOE Annual Conference for providing a fantastic platform for collaboration and innovation.

As we move forward, we are more motivated than ever to bridge skills across continents and make a meaningful impact. Stay tuned for more updates and join us in our journey!

#Link4Skills #IMISCOE2024 #SkillsDevelopment #Migration #Innovation #EUProjects #HorizonEurope

L4S Panel at IMSCOE Annual Conference
2024-07-02 02:50 - 16:20 UTC
🌍 Global Fair Skill Flows, Skill Recognition, Talent Partnerships, and Migration Skill Corridors 🌍

On July 2nd the Link4Skills consortium hosted a vibrant panel at the 21st annual conference of IMSCOE (International Migration Research Network) in Lisbon, Portugal. This event marked the first significant conference appearance for Link4Skills, and it was well received. (The room was full!)

Jointly organised by L4S coordinator Izabela Grabowska (Kozminski University) and L4S partner Helen Schwenken (Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies, University of Osnabrück), the event provided a valuable opportunity for researchers from around the world to exchange their thoughts and concerns on addressing global skill flows and migration challenges. The panel featured insightful discussions about skill recognition, talent partnerships, and migration skill corridors, noting the critical role of “origin” countries in forging global skill partnerships with “destination” countries. It also highlighted the need for a “manifesto” on fair global skill flows, a topic the L4S project is addressing.

Alongside the two organisers, the event also featured participation from the following Link4Skills consortium members:

– Dr. Anna Triandafyllidou, Toronto Metropolitan University

– Dr. Marla Maruja Milagros, Scalabrini Migration Center Philippines

– Prof. Mary Setrana, University of Ghana

– Prof. Dr. Mehdi Lehlou, Association Migration Internationale Morocco

– Prof. Rajan Irudaya, International Institute of Migration and Development India

– Prof. Irina Lapshyna, Ukrainian Catholic University Lviv

– Prof. Dr. Godfried Engbersen, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Thanks to all who participated and contributed to the vibrant discussions!

SKILLS HORIZONS - Horizon projects showcase event
2024-05-08 10:00 - 12:00 UTC
Join us on May 8th for this unique online event offering access to more than 10 HORIZON research projects on skills for social and economic transformations. L4S coordinator Izabela Grabowska will present an overview of our newly launched project, including development of the AI-powered Link4Skills Navigator.Choose from more than 10 dedicated rooms to engage in meaningful conversations, explore project depths, and foster personal connections that could shape the future of our initiatives.This event is being held as part of the European Year of Skills.Register here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ev-SwkpV
