July 2025
Dr Laura Shobiye, Cardiff University
The Fourth International Migration and Mobility Conference (iMigMob 2025), held at Aberystwyth University from 8 to 10 July, provided a vibrant and intellectually stimulating space for migration scholars across disciplines. In this piece, I reflect on my experience of the conference, offering a practitioner-researcher’s perspective.
Although I missed the first day due to commitments supporting MRes students at a doctoral conference in Cardiff, I arrived on Day 2 to a packed programme that exemplified the conference’s interdisciplinary ethos. The morning panel featured five geographers presenting on patterns of internal and international mobility, followed by a compelling session on health and social care. Project topics ranged from maternity and geriatric care to the role of case workers, each illustrating how migration intersects with everyday infrastructures of support and governance.
The evening meal at Medina was a highlight, not only for its abundance (we left with several generous “doggy bags”) but for the informal conversations it enabled. These moments of social exchange often yielded as much insight as the formal sessions, allowing for deeper connections and cross-sector dialogue.
Day 3 marked a shift toward theoretical engagement, accompanied by reflections on practice. Panels explored decolonial methodologies and inclusive research practices, with a strong emphasis on reflexivity and positionality. I presented in the education stream, sharing findings from my PhD on learning with mothers seeking sanctuary in Wales. I reflected on how the research has generated impact beyond academia, informing trauma-aware pedagogies and shaping volunteer training programmes. Other presentations in the stream addressed language learning and educational access, underscoring the role of education as both a site of integration and contestation.
The conference’s international character was palpable, not only in the diversity of presenters but in the transnational conversations that emerged. For example, I exchanged contact details with a Kenyan researcher whose work on health systems resonated with my teaching at the University of Cardiff. I also reconnected with a colleague working with a charity where I serve as a trustee, a reminder of the small-world dynamics that often shape our sector.
A serendipitous post-conference journey with a fellow attendee led to a deep dive into linguistic structures, as we discussed grammatical rules for sentence constructions across languages. It was a joyful reminder of the intellectual curiosity that drives so many of us in research.
This was my first time attending iMigMob, made possible by a bursary for which I’m deeply grateful. Having recently returned to work following a family bereavement, the
conference offered not only professional enrichment but personal renewal. The organisers, hosts, and fellow participants created a space that was both rigorous and restorative.
In sum, iMigMob 2025 exemplified what migration scholarship can be: critical, collaborative, and grounded in lived experience. It bridged theory and practice, reminding us that the most meaningful insights often emerge in the spaces between disciplines, sectors, and conversations. I look forward to the next iMigMob conference
Population Geography 