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Future Imaginaries of Migration

What contribution can migration and mobility make to societal progress?
This question is explored by the international, interdisciplinary project “Future Imaginaries of Migration.” Participants from the fields of art, academia, journalism, and civil society deliberately move beyond dominant migration debates to develop and critically examine plausible scenarios for migration over the next 25 years.

Future Imaginaries of Migration - Key Visual Foto: Guilherme Stecanella via Unsplash, Grafik: Lea Illera/inseq

About the Project

The project is part of the international “Future of Mobility and Migration Partnership,” led by the Global Migration Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University in collaboration with the German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM), the University of Ghana, and the National University of Singapore.
The Goethe-Institut, the Aga Khan Museum, Migration Matters e.V., and Futurium – House of Futures are involved in shaping and implementing the project. Through its network, the Goethe-Institut contributes artistic perspectives that feed into the Future Labs.

Methodological Pillars

  • Interdisciplinary research: Linking migration studies with strategic foresight.
  • Collaborative co-creation: Creating synergies between academia, policy, civil society, and the arts.
  • Global perspectives: Involving institutions from Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa.

The project becomes visible across multiple platforms: online in the project gallery Future Imaginaries of Migration, in an exhibition at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, and in four international, transdisciplinary Future Labs. Each lab focuses on a key question of global transformation:

Online Gallery

Future Lab 2026

How will migration and mobility shape societies in the future? The collection of visions and questions about the future was initiated during the first Future Lab in Berlin in the summer of 2026. An online gallery provides insight into the working processes and showcases contributions from the participating scholars and artists.

Future Lab 2026 Berlin - Online Gallery © Bernadette Klausberger © Bernadette Klausberger

Future Labs

  • Future Lab 1

    Aging Societies & Migration

    Berlin, Germany
    (German Center for Integration and Migration Research)
    June 24–26, 2026

  • Future Lab 2

    Climate Change & Mobility

    Accra, Ghana
    (University of Ghana)
    November 17, 2026

  • Future Lab 3

    Globalized Cities

    Singapore
    (National University of Singapore)
    April 25–27, 2027

  • Future Lab 4

    Location-Independent Work

    Toronto, Canada
    (Toronto Metropolitan University)
    October 21–22, 2027

Participation & Application

The Future Labs bring together experts from research and practice to collaboratively explore forward-looking topics.
Participation is limited to 40 participants per lab.

Help shape the Future Labs — apply here to take part as a researcher, artist, or subject-matter expert:

Apply now

Partners

Further links