Press Release 28.05.2025

 Study program enters second round with a special focus on the migration route West Africa, Maghreb and Germany
The project partners welcome the 24 participants from Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Germany, who work in ministries, international organisations, NGOs or universities in the field of return migration.
The certified training program, which is funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) of the European Union (EU) and the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), aims to promote international exchange, strengthen skills in the field of circular migration and return as well as understanding and create sustainable networks between the participants. The diverse composition of the group underlines the international significance of the project and the Munich Forum for Dialogue’s commitment to an open and inclusive society.

‘We are thrilled to once again welcome a diverse group of participants from different countries and to be able to accompany them for a year,’ says Joachim Scheurer, Managing Director of the Munich Forum for Dialogue. ‘This program offers a unique opportunity to learn from each other, build bridges and work together on solutions to social challenges such as migration and return.’

The group will start the two-semester ‘Circular and Return Migration Management’ programme with a four-day classroom course on 28 May 2025 at the University for Continuing Education Krems in Austria (UWK). Its Department of Migration and Globalisation is the project partner responsible for designing and implementing the training program. ‘Return migration has increasingly become the focus of research: we can build on the latest results from the ’Finding Agreement in Return” project. The aim of this EU project is to investigate when and under what conditions measures to promote return are effective and are seen as legitimate by those affected,” says Mathias Czaika, Head of Department.

 Insights from the first group of the program

The first group of the program, consisting of participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey, has already successfully completed four courses and is now in the process of writing their case studies. We were able to ask some of the participants questions about their motivation for taking part and their expectations of the program in video interviews. These interviews provide valuable insights into the motivations and objectives of the participants. The individual interviews can be viewed on our website. The feedback shows how important the participants consider the change of perspective between research and practice, the exchange of experiences and networking to be, especially for international cooperation in the areas of migration, integration and return.

Case studies: Final theses with practical approaches and possible solutions for issues of return and circular migration

An important focus of the university study program is on the case studies, which on the one hand represent the final theses of the participants, but on the other hand are incorporated into an accompanying study in which a comprehensive picture is to be gained of the challenges and further training needs for employees in return programs at all levels. The project ideas that are developed and elaborated in detail as part of the case studies deal with the specific requirements of voluntary return programs in the countries of origin, destination and transit. These practical approaches are intended to develop concrete solutions and strategies to better understand and organise the challenges and opportunities of voluntary return in the participating countries.

Further information on the project and the activities of the Munich Forum for Dialogue can be found on our website: https://munichforum.org/project-crm/?lang=en. 

About the Munich Forum for Dialogue gGmbH (MFD)

The Munich Forum for Dialogue is a non-profit organisation for the promotion of social dialogue. Our focus is on the conception and implementation of bilateral educational projects in development cooperation. We use dialogue formats to create spaces for encounters in which different opinions, people and groups come together to engage in trusting, respectful and peaceful discussions without prejudice. We engage in constructive dialogue to provide food for thought on important social issues.

About the University for Continuing Education Krems (UWK)

The University for Continuing Education Krems specializes in academic continuing education for working professionals. As a public university for continuing education, it works with its expertise in research and teaching to over-come societal challenges and tailors its study programs to address them. The continuing education study programs cover ten fields of study and meet the specific requirements of students with work experience. With over 8,000 students coming from 90 countries, the University for Continuing Education Krems combines its many years of experience in university-based conti­nuing education with innovation to provide outs­tanding quality in research and teaching at an international level. The University holds the AQ Austria quality seal. Situated 60 km from Vienna in the alluring world heritage region Wachau, Campus Krems is a highly attractive location.