Projects
Newcomers’ literacy trajectories: mapping and monitoring literacy learning practices, processes and strategies in formal, non-formal and informal spheres. KU Leuven
This doctoral research forms the basis of a broader research project (C2 - Unlocking newcomers’ literacy development: learning for life in formal, non-formal and informal spheres) that focuses on migrant newcomers’ language and literacy development in their new host environment. It explores how they expand their literacy competencies in different situated socialization processes and ecologies, and tries to gain insight into how newcomers’ ...
Orientate newcomers by smart social mentoring KU Leuven
ORIENT8 is a smart social mentoring program supported by smart digital tools and tailored acitivities. It smartly pairs
newly arrived third country nationals (TCNs or newcomers) with the volunteer members of the local community in
order to help them overcome daily life difficulties at the early stages of their integration process. By developing this
program, we aim to improve the social orientation of newcomers, promote ...
Culturally sensitive trauma care for young newcomers and their families: Collaborative care as a recovery-oriented methodology in intersectoral partnership KU Leuven
Due to migration-related loss and life experiences, parental vulnerability and traumatic family processes, young newcomers show a greatly increased occurrence of developmental trauma. This vulnerable target group requires accessible, culturally sensitive care that focuses on restoring safety in school, family and cultural community. To this end, this project develops collaborative care as an intersectoral recovery-oriented methodology in two ...
Citizenship and the past: historical culture in Flemish and Dutch Social Orientation courses for newcomers. Ghent University
In Flanders, and more generally throughout Western Europe, there is a recent tendency towards the culturalization of citizenship (Duyvendak et al., 2016). This is particularly apparent in integration policies, in which there is an increasing focus on values and norms, cultural practices, and history. A turning point in Flanders was the formulation of a civic integration policy in 2003, which resulted in, among other things, a compulsory ...
From Camp to Campus: Social Investment in Refugees and Newcomers through Higher Education. KU Leuven
The main objective of ‘From Camp to Campus’ is to provide the scientific evidence base for a ‘social investment approach’ which can boost the efficiency and effectiveness of R&N integration strategies through higher education. Alongside the scientific objective, ‘From Camp to Campus’ has a societal objective: to foster a win-win strategy, with welfare gains for R&N themselves, and for the Flemish economy and society at large. This ...
Arrival infrastructures as sites of integration for recent newcomers KU Leuven
Europe has been built and continues to be rebuilt at the convergence of innumerable migration trajectories. In the long run, the traces of migration processes are often effaced and sedimented into ‘native’ society. But many communities, civil society actors, public authorities, small businesses, religious institutions, leisure organisations, etc. have records and living memories of these migration processes, or indeed, are actively engaged in ...
Arrival infrastructures as sites of integration for recent newcomers Ghent University
Throughout its long history, Europe has drawn numerous migration movements. Its traces are often hidden and sedimented into native society. However, several actors, such as communities and religious institutions, have records and living memories of these processes or actively participate in the integration process of new migrants. The EU-funded ReROOT project will study a vast sequence of actors consisting of previous generations of migrants ...
Arrival infrastructures and migrant newcomers in European cities KU Leuven
This is a comparative project investigating arrival infrastructures in three European urban neighbourhoods: one in the London Borough of Newham (UK), one in Brussels (Belgium) and one in Dortmund (Germany). It will focus on the area of Nordmarkt in Dortmund, Cureghem in Brussels and Newham in London. The cities have been chosen on the grounds of their differing scales, while having similar historical trajectories of ongoing immigration ...