14 October 2025
Bilbao Campus
The University of Deusto has strengthened its position as a leading centre for pioneering studies on migration and human mobility by joining the European consortium developing the MITIME doctoral network (Entanglements of Migration and Time in Post-industrial Urban Europe), funded by the European Union through the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network programme. The aim of this initiative is to promote research on migration processes, integration and social change in European cities.
This project, led by the University of Oulu (Finland) and involving most of the universities in the UNIC – European University of Post-Industrial Cities alliance, including Deusto, aims to train and promote a new generation of migration specialists capable of researching, understanding and helping to reduce the inequalities arising from human mobility.
Within this framework, the consortium universities will recruit 15 doctoral researchers, two of them at Deusto. In addition to their recruitment, the Basque university will co-supervise two doctoral theses, directly contributing to the scientific and academic progress of the programme. All selected staff will receive interdisciplinary training, including joint activities designed to promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences in an international environment.
A temporality-focused approach
MITIME proposes a new perspective on how we understand migration processes—traditionally conceived as linear trajectories of departure, journey, arrival and settlement—advocating an innovative approach centred on temporality. The aim is to analyse permanent, temporary, seasonal, circular or indefinite migrations in order to better understand the diverse patterns and realities experienced by thousands of people in European cities.
The research generated by MITIME will provide a critical perspective on the migration process, aiming to develop practical and innovative solutions to combat social inequalities and promote cohesion in post-industrial urban contexts. This strategic initiative positions Deusto at the European forefront of migration research, reaffirming its social and academic commitment.
This autumn, the project will open calls to select the new doctoral researchers who will join MITIME and conduct their research at the various universities in the UNIC alliance, including the University of Deusto. A unique opportunity for early-career researchers interested in becoming part of a new generation of migration experts and in promoting projects with a real impact on how mobility is conceived, perceived and managed in Europe.
The project, awarded €4.4 million in European funding, was selected through a highly competitive call in which only 13% of proposals were accepted.
