ULEC Webinar - Reframing Migration: Professionalization in the Context of Schooling and Forced Migration in Central Eastern Europe
27 March 2025
On 25 March 2025, the Ukrainian Language Education Centre (ULEC) at CIUS hosted a webinar titled “Reframing Migration: Professionalization in the Context of Schooling and Forced Migration in Central Eastern Europe.”
The webinar featured four experts from leading academic institutions across Europe:
- Kristina Kocyba (Technical University of Dresden, Germany) specializes in school pedagogy, migration, multilingualism, and school development. She leads the Erasmus+ project Act4Mig: A Course for Teachers on Forced Migration.
- Paweł Rudnicki (University of Lower Silesia, Poland) researches critical education, spontaneous self-organization in crises, and anti-discrimination education.
- Kateryna Buchko (Ukrainian Catholic University, Ukraine, and University of Stirling, UK) focuses on trauma pedagogy, refugee experiences, and inclusive religious education.
- Herta Márki (Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary) specializes in second-language acquisition, migration-related multilingualism, and language-sensitive teaching.
The webinar, presented by members of the Education and Migration in Central Europe (EMCE) Research Group, explored the intersection of migration, education, and teacher professionalization, focusing on the competencies of educators working with forcibly displaced students, including those from Ukraine. Key themes included:
- Migration and public perception: Migration is often politicized and presented in crisis-driven narratives. The webinar challenged this view by emphasizing that migration is neither inherently negative nor positive but varies based on context and individual experiences.
- Teacher support and professionalization: The discussion highlighted the need for educators to develop competencies for working with migrant and refugee students. The Act4Mig project, funded by Erasmus+, is designing an open-access course to equip teachers with necessary skills and knowledge.
- Multilingualism in education: The panel explored the role of language-sensitive teaching, heritage language support, and cross-curricular language education in fostering inclusive learning environments.
- Trauma pedagogy in schools: Speakers emphasized the importance of trauma-informed teaching practices for children affected by war and displacement. Strategies such as creating safe spaces, providing emotional support, and recognizing trauma-related behavioural issues were discussed.
- Educational implications of migration: Schools play a crucial role in integrating refugee students by acknowledging transnational educational biographies and fostering strong teacher-student relationships.
About the “More Light on Central Europe” Seminar Series
This series includes 16 online and 2 in-person events (Wrocław, 2025 & 2026) and brings together researchers, educators, activists, and policymakers to promote inclusive education and migration discourse. It is supported by the University of Lower Silesia (DSW) and the Polish Ministry of Science.
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For those who wish to access a recording of the webinar, it is available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/fIcWmMRfGbo