A year of motion: EMMIR students and alumni reflect on 2025

A glimpse into 2025 through the reflections of the EMMIR community, through images shared by students and alumni.

As 2025 came to a close, many members of the EMMIR community took to LinkedIn to reflect on their year, sharing milestones, research experiences, mobility journeys, and moments of connection. Together, their posts offer a glimpse into what the year looked like across the programme: not just academically, but personally and professionally.

For EMMIR alumna Chiamaka, 2025 was a year of expanding her work across research, teaching, and global policy spaces. She participated in international climate mobility forums, contributed to discussions on statelessness and climate change, and secured a PhD position to continue researching how migrants experience law, belonging, and community.

Reflecting on these experiences, she described how sustained engagement can open new paths:

“These milestones mattered less as titles than as evidence that sustained commitment, aligned with purpose, compounds over time.”

For current students like Fernanda, the year was defined by academic collaboration and new ways of thinking about migration. Working with an international research team, she explored how Indigenous knowledge systems shape understandings of mobility, dignity, and climate adaptation. She reflected on how the programme creates space for perspectives that are often overlooked:

“What makes this program special is the opportunity to study migration through non-Western frameworks that are often marginalized in mainstream academia.”

EMMIRians share their 2025 reflections on LinkedIn.

Mobility also meant adapting to new environments and navigating unfamiliar contexts. Lucía shared reflections on completing study and research periods across South and Southeast Asia, describing both the challenges and the growth that came with living and learning across different countries:

“2025 was a year full of new experiences, lessons, and environments to adapt to… challenges that, in the end, made the experience even more meaningful.”

For alumni, the year also brought moments of reconnection. Returning to Oldenburg for the EMMIR Alumni Gathering and graduation celebrations, Rubi reflected on the strength of the community that continues beyond the programme itself:

“The conversations about alumni experiences, career paths, community, and the program’s future were inspiring and grounding.”

Taken together, these reflections capture the spirit of EMMIR in 2025: a year of movement, learning, and connection.

Thank you all for being part of this journey, and we would like to wish our EMMIR community a wonderful 2026!