How do aspirations to migrate change over time?
Welcome to our research project on the Dynamics of adaptive migration aspirations in Nepal and beyond (DYNAMIGS)
The project
DYNAMIGS is a collaborative research project. We seek to understand how young people’s wishes and goals to migrate and stay change over time. We study these processes among young Nepalis living in Nepal, Portugal, and Austria. We also aim to learn how people’s changing migration aspirations affect their wellbeing.
Questions
How do aspirations to migrate and stay change over time, and what mechanisms drive these changes? ➔ We seek to learn about these processes among people living at their country of origin and people living in a different country abroad.
How do people’s changes in migration aspirations shape their wellbeing, and the wellbeing of their communities in origin contexts? ➔ We explore the links with different forms of wellbeing, including living conditions, health, relationships, and life satisfaction.
Methods
We combine online surveys with interviews and participant observation.
Cases
We do research with Nepalis aged 18-35 in four places: Kathmandu Valley (Nepal), Gorkha district (Nepal), Lisbon (Portugal), and Vienna (Austria; through DIAMOND)
Partners
- University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria
- Centre for the Study of Labour and Mobility, Social Science Baha, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Iscte–Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Funding
- Gesellschaft für Forschungsförderung Niederösterreich (FTI22-D-005)
- Kooperative Entwicklungsforschung, BMBWF/OeAD (KoEF191)
The extension: DIAMOND
Through additional funding from the Kooperative Entwicklungsforschung (OeAD), we expand DYNAMIGS: the add-on project Development implications of adaptive migration aspirations in Nepal and beyond (DIAMOND) allows us to collect additional data and conduct further in-depth analyses on the two-way links between migration aspirations and wellbeing. Through DIAMOND, we add Vienna (Austria) as a case study to investigate how aspirations to stay, return, or move onward change over time among young Nepali migrants living at different destinations. This allows us to conduct comparative analyses of Lisbon (Portugal) and Vienna (Austria) as destinations, and investigate the role of differing policies and opportunities on migrants’ aspirations to move on, return, or stay.
Research areas
Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Gorkha district, Nepal
Lisbon, Portugal
Vienna, Austria
Team
Josef Neubauer (PI)
University for Continuing Education Krems
Samiksha Neupane
Social Science Baha
Lea Müller-Funk
University for Continuing Education Krems
Jeevan Baniya
Social Science Baha
Mathias Czaika
University for Continuing Education Krems
Arjun Kharel
Social Science Baha
Anusa Karki
Field researcher
Glory Thapa
Field researcher
Rhitu Dangol
Field researcher
Sampada Silwal
Field researcher
Suyasha Sharma
Field researcher
Publications
You will find all project publications and outputs here.
Contact
hello@dynamigs.org
DYNAMIGS–DIAMOND project
Josef Neubauer
Department for Migration and Globalisation
University for Continuing Education Krems
Dr.-Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30
3500 Krems
Austria
English (UK) 
नेपाली