How is integration created in practice? Despite extensive national policies, integration largely takes place through everyday interactions, local working methods, and collaboration between different actors.
This seminar brings together insights from three recent policy briefs from the Centre on Global Migration (CGM), highlighting integration from different perspectives: newcomers’ encounters with frontline bureaucrats, local integration work carried out by civil society, and the role of work-integrating social enterprises in supporting foreign-born women.
Together, these contributions demonstrate how approach, discretion, individual adaptation, and relationship-building are central to fostering trust, inclusion, and labour market integration.
The seminar is primarily aimed at practitioners in the public sector, civil society, and working life, but researchers are also welcome.
Following three short presentations, a panel discussion will focus on what works in practice—and which institutional changes are required to strengthen these efforts. The panel will include representatives from various organisations closely connected to the theme.
Preliminary programme:
10:00–10:10 Welcome
10:10–10:30 Presentation: Newcomers’ experiences of encounters with frontline bureaucrats
10:30–10:50 Presentation: The role of civil society in promoting integration in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods
10:50–11:10 Presentation: The role of work-integrating social enterprises (WISEs) in creating inclusive labour markets
11:10–11:30 Break
11:30–12:00 Panel discussion: “Making it work in practice – experiences from local integration efforts”
Participants (preliminary):
Andrea Spehar, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
Gabriella Elgenius, Professor, Department of Sociology and Work Science
Emma Ek Österberg, Associate Professor, School of Public Administration
María José Zapata Campos, Professor, Department of Global Studies
Maria Norbäck, Professor, Department of Business Administration and Director of the Centre for Research on Work and Employment (WE)
Nanna Gillberg, Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration
Patrik Zapata, Professor, School of Public Administration
Therese Ydrén, Unit Manager, City of Gothenburg, Labour Market and Adult Education Administration. Leads and coordinates strategic work on integration, entrepreneurship/social enterprises, and collaboration with civil society.
This seminar is part of our mission to highlight research at the University of Gothenburg with high societal relevance and to promote knowledge exchange between the university and other actors. Based on our policy brief series, we will organise similar events with different thematic focuses.
