*New* Wittgenstein Centre Conference 2025: Demographic Perspectives on Migration in the 21st Century (11/19/25 – 11/21/25)

Posted: 10/2/2025 ()

Wittgenstein Centre Conference 2025
19 – 21 November 2025, Vienna, Austria

The conference will be held in hybrid format.

Migration is a highly debated yet divisive topic in today’s public and policy discourse. In low fertility societies, migration is the main driver of population change and is essential for maintaining a stable labour force. Although it is often presented in simplistic terms, migration is a complex phenomenon shaped by the interplay of multiple drivers and barriers, making it difficult to analyse and predict. Local and global crises, including extreme events driven by climate change, can trigger large-scale mobility both within and across borders.

Demographers have contributed significantly to measuring migration, assessing the contribution of immigrants to population dynamics, and studying population heterogeneity amidst increasingly complex and rapidly shifting migration patterns. Considerable advances have also been made in understanding the differences in migrants’ demographic behaviour, how these evolve as they integrate into host societies, and how life transitions interact with the migration process. Demographic projections and scenarios are essential tools for assessing the long-term implications for future population dynamics, labour markets and socio-cultural diversity, providing important insights for evidence-based policymaking. Much of this research has focused on the destination countries, while implications of emigration in developing regions remain less explored. Likewise, the experiences and challenges of those who lack the means to migrate and remain immobile have received limited attention, despite significant challenges to their livelihoods and well-being.

We are pleased to announce our keynote speakers:

Jakub Bijak (University of Southampton)

Yuliya Kosyakova (University of Bamberg)

Register here.

Deadline: 10/31/2025