Conference 2024 - Call for Abstracts

Canadian immigrants make up over a fifth of the population, and the nation expects to welcome more than a million newcomers over the next two years. As such, immigrant integration and settlement are crucial areas of focus. On the ground, there are hundreds of researchers, settlement and integration practitioners, and community organizations who work daily to improve the lives of Canadian newcomers when they arrive. From language education to employment assistance to cultural orientation, these efforts contribute to the successful integration of diverse immigrants in their new home.

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The Immigrant Education Society's Research & Program Development Department is delighted to invite researchers, scholars, practitioners, and leaders engaged in community-based research related to immigration and settlement to submit abstracts and participate in the 2024 Conference titled Pathways to Inclusion: Community-Based Research in Immigration and Settlement.

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The conference is intended to showcase the diverse topics and perspectives within immigration research and settlement. We invite scholars, researchers, and practitioners from the field to submit abstracts related to any of the conference’s four areas of focus. By bringing diverse local, national, and international experiences and perspectives together, we can image possibilities for improving the lives and experiences of immigrant newcomers in Canada.

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Topics of Interest Include (but are not limited to):

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Area of Focus 1: Climate Adaptation

- Climate refugees, displacement, and resettlement due to climate-related impacts

- Cultural adaptation due to climate-related migration

- Innovative strategies for community resilience and adaptation to new environments

- Urbanization, vulnerability, and livelihoods

- Sustainable practices for climate-sensitive sectors (e.g., fishing, agriculture)

- Implications of climate-induced migration on health and wellbeing

- Policy and regulations on climate across local, national, and/or global scales

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Area of Focus 2: Professional and Skilled Immigrant Supports

- Labour market integration for skilled immigrant professionals

- Credential recognition and educational background

- Strategies and perspectives on career continuity, upward mobility, and/or downgrading

- The impact of language proficiency for professional and skilled immigrants

- Discrimination and bias in the Canadian workforce - Workforce Integration and settlement policies and support programs

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Area of Focus 3: Inclusion and Diversity in Immigrant Youth and Children

- Educational access and attainment

- Social and cultural identity and integration

- Language practices and multilingualism in and beyond the household

- Family dynamics

- Mental health and wellbeing

- Gender-related perspectives on violence, bias, and access to opportunities

- Support programs and policy interventions for immigrant youth and children

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Area of Focus 4: Education and Digital Literacy

- Digital literacy and online skill development for immigrants

- Language learning models for digital, hybrid, or remote spaces

- Barriers to digital inclusion

- Digital citizenship, privacy, and safety

- Digital literacy for vulnerable immigrants (e.g., literacy learners, older immigrants, etc.)

- E-learning and higher education

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Types of Submissions:

We invite you to submit an abstract to present in either of the following formats:

1) Individual Oral Presentation (20-minute presentation + 10-minute question period) This format is suitable for researchers, scholars, or practitioners to present anything from reflections on best practices, experience-based knowledge and perspectives, a literature review, or research projects and findings (preliminary or final).

2) Group Panel (60-90 minutes of presenting + discussion and audience questions) This format is suitable for a group of 3-5 researchers, scholars, or practitioners to present on a common theme.

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Submission Guidelines:

If you are interested in presenting, you will need to provide the following:

- Your name, organizational affiliation, and contact information

- If applicable, the name(s) and affiliation(s) of any co-presenter(s)

- The title of your presentation

- A 300-word abstract

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For a panel, please submit a group panel abstract.

As you write your abstract, you can include: the purpose of your presentation, a concise overview of your ideas, and, if applicable, a concise overview of your research process (e.g., theories, methodology, results, implications).

All abstracts must be submitted by December 15, 2023 to research@immigrant-education.ca or through the online abstract submission form. If you submit via email, please be sure to include the required information in an attached document (presenter names, title, abstract).

Submissions across disciplines are welcome. Abstracts from graduate and post-graduate students are especially welcome.

Abstract submissions will remain confidential. Submissions will be reviewed by an internal review panel and presenters will be notified of the decision by January 15, 2024.