Migration and Intercultural Diasporic Lives Lab (MiDLL)

Research team introduction

“The Migration and Intercultural Diasporic Life Laboratory” is a platform of the VMU Lithuanian Emigration Institute, uniting an interdisciplinary team of researchers in social, political and humanities sciences, whose members are united by a common focus on the analysis of diaspora and migration processes, especially micro-level intercultural relations in the post-Soviet Central and Eastern European space. Team members work at the intersection of sociology, cultural studies, political science, history and anthropology, applying various qualitative and quantitative methodologies – from discourse analysis, visual analysis, content analysis to biographical interviews, surveys, participatory observation and ethnography. The research group analyzes processes and experiences of migration, diaspora and intercultural relations, connecting them with historical contexts of memory, integration, belonging and social cohesion, taking into account global changes and processes.

Team researchers (in alphabetical order):

Dr. Tomasz Błaszczak

Researches political and cultural history, memory politics, and biographical studies. His work focuses on Belarusian, Polish, and Lithuanian diasporas in both historical and contemporary contexts. Currently affiliated with the Department of History at Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania), the Lithuanian Emigration Institute, and the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania.

Dr. Dainius Genys

Sociologist specializing in civic engagement, social networks, and societal transformations. His research combines quantitative and qualitative methods to examine behavioral and structural change. Currently works at the Lithuanian Emigration Institute and the Andrei Sakharov Research Center for Democratic Development at Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania).

Dr. Daiva Kristina Kuzmickaitė

Focuses on migration, diaspora, the civic sector, and education policy. Her research explores intercultural communication and transnational mobility experiences, combining anthropological and educational perspectives. She has extensive ethnographic research experience. Currently affiliated with the Lithuanian Emigration Institute at Vytautas Magnus University, Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania), and the Sūduva Academy.

Dr. Violetta Anna Parutis

Studies migration experiences and social transformations among Eastern and Central Europeans. Her research examines how migration trajectories influence social ties, identity, and belonging. She works at the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex (UK), where she contributes to the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), and at the Lithuanian Emigration Institute at Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania).

Dr. Emilija Pundziūtė-Gallois

Specializes in migration studies, diasporic diplomacy, and historical sociology. Her research focuses on mobility, collective memory, and civic/cultural diplomacy practices. She teaches at Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania) and Sciences Po (France).

The team is united by a multi-layered analytical perspective that allows us to study both contemporary migration and historical diaspora phenomena:

• Sociologically – by capturing the everyday life of migration processes, emotional states and network connections;
• Politically – by explaining the institutional posture of the host society, expectations of citizenship;
• Historically – by reconstructing the contexts of identity formation, trajectories of memory;
• Culturally – by exploring the role of representations, language, and narratives in the self-concept of diasporas.

Shared focus on micro-level interactions

Each team member delves into intercultural connections, emotional anchoring, and forms of communion from their own disciplinary perspective. The researchers seek to understand how migrants not only adapt, but also change the host society, creating new models of social interaction. The distinctive feature is the research on micro-level intercultural communion and togetherness in a broader socio-historical, socio-cultural migratory and political context, with a special focus on the experiences of post-Soviet diasporas, the tension of temporality-belonging, rethinking integration models, and the themes of quality of life, dignity and openness in the Central and Eastern European region.

The team is distinguished by its ability to combine:

• qualitative empirical analysis (ethnography, interviews, discourse studies);
• a solid conceptual foundation (historical and political sociology, cultural analysis, anthropology);
• systemic interdisciplinarity and sensitivity to cultural nuances.

Distinctive features of the team

Interdisciplinarity: team members work at the intersection of different disciplines – from history, sociology, political science to anthropology and cultural studies. This allows for a comprehensive analysis of migration and integration phenomena, combining socio-historical, cultural and political perspectives.

• Thematic diversity: researchers are interested in different aspects of diaspora, identity, migration, collective memory, intercultural communication and social justice. They are united by a common goal – to understand how and what shape integration trajectories, a sense of belonging and social ties, encompassing diaspora organizations and local community networks or contextualizing them within the framework of migration and integration policies, legal documents, and public discourse.
• Networking: researchers are currently developing an informal network of researchers of New Diasporas in the post-Soviet Space. This promotes the circulation of knowledge, the coordination of thematic and methodological directions, and the development of joint research. Individually and collectively participate in international and national conferences. Are members of numerous international and local professional associations.
• Connections with the practical field: researchers actively cooperate with the NGO sector, migrant organizations, state institutions, representatives of ministries and municipalities. Have conducted commissioned research, prepare expert reports, organize practical seminars for practitioners. Have many years of experience in consulting on practical integration policy solutions.
• International experience: team members have interned and taught at various foreign universities (e.g., SciencePo, Essex, KU Leuven, Florence European Institute, Columbia University, Syracuse University, Hebrew University, etc.), participated in international scientific networks, COST and Horizon, Erasmus +, etc. project activities.

Team activities and research directions

• research on the quality of life and expectations of post-Soviet diasporas (especially Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian) in Lithuania;
• analysis of institutional support mechanisms and their effectiveness;
• research on the openness of Lithuanian society through public discourse, institutional strategies, and active citizen activities;
• analysis of forms of intercultural communion and togetherness – naming moments of everyday communication, friendship, solidarity;
• development of identity, memory and sense of belonging among newly arrived communities.

The team is open for cooperation within the following directions

• Diaspora integration and participation in society: cultural inclusion, civic engagement, migration narratives.
• Identity and belonging research: how migrants of different generations create “home” in new countries, how they combine belonging to several cultures.
• Intercultural friendship and emotional context: how togetherness develop between locals and newcomers.
• Migration and memory politics: how historical memory, collective traumas affect diaspora relations with the host society.
• Models of assistance and solidarity during crisis migrations: from civil society response to state policy.
• Post-Soviet, post-colonial migration and the concept of freedom: how migration from authoritarian regimes shapes expectations and adaptation challenges.