ETMU 2026

Call for papers

Call for Papers for the 23rd ETMU Conference: Towards Good Relations in Mobile Futures: The Role of Trust for Migration and Belonging

The call for papers for the ETMU conference 2026 is now open and we warmly invite paper submissions. The deadline for submission of papers is 15th of August 2026 (Eastern European Summer Time).

The conference will take place at Åbo Akademi University in Turku.

Conference theme

The conference explores the role of trust, mistrust, and distrust in migration and processes of belonging. Trust shapes how people move, where they settle, and how they relate to societies, institutions, and communities. At the same time, trust is shaped by inequalities, discrimination, and racism, and may be contested, fragile, or even exploited. Mistrust can also be protective or foster solidarity.As a concept and experience, trust is contextual, relational, and dynamic. Despite its importance, it remains relatively understudied in migration research. The ETMU 2026 Conference brings together diverse perspectives on how trust is conceptualised, experienced, and researched. Read more about the conference theme on the front page!

What kind of contributions are we looking for?

We invite contributions that take a broad, multifaceted approach to trust and its possible associations, including recognition, protection, belonging, equity, anti-racism, risk, trustworthiness, reliability, accountability, the rule of law, love, hope, refusal, and control. We are interested in how trust is shaped among people (social trust), how individuals navigate their relationships with institutions (institutional trust), and how institutions trust one another (inter-institutional trust). This also includes past, present, and future visions of trust, as well as projects for communal, intercommunal, and inter-institutional trust-building. We also invite contributions that focus on building strong, sustainable relationships between research and activism.

We welcome papers that address trust in migration- and belonging-related research, policy, advocacy, art, and/or activism. We also welcome non-governmental organisations to send in papers that are not necessarily based on research but that connect to the conference themes. 

Submission guidelines 

Session-based submissions:

Authors are encouraged to submit their papers primarily to one of the accepted sessions listed on the ETMU 2026 conference website. Note that some sessions are closed, and some sessions do not have a call for papers, this is mentioned in the session description. Please also note that workshops do not have pre-registration.

Individual submissions:

If your paper does not align with any listed session, you may submit it as an individual paper. Depending on the number and themes of individual submissions, new sessions may be formed. However, the organizers may also assign your paper to an existing session if it aligns with its theme.

->See all accepted sessions and their descriptions here

Paper submission requirements
  • Include your name, affiliation and the title of your presentation.
  • Submit a 300-word abstract (full papers are not required).
  • Clearly articulate your research question, methodology, and key findings or arguments. Please note that we also welcome papers that are not based on research and that they might have a different outline.
  • If possible, connect your abstract to the conference or session themes.

Indicate the language of your presentation if your session has more than one option.

Send in your submission

->Please send in your paper submission here

The deadline for submission of papers is 15th of August 2026 (Eastern European Summer Time).