Conference "Understanding the migration - vocational education nexus. Constraints and potentials." Tuesday, January 21, 2020, 09.00-16.00 C3 - Centre for International Development, Sensengasse 3, 1090 Vienna Speakers: Stefan Wolf (TU Berlin), Volker Wedekind (University of Nottingham), Gudrun Biffl (Donau-Universität Krems), Bettina Fellmer (GIZ, Bereich Flucht, Migration, Rückkehr), Edith Vasilyev (IOM Austria), Ali Safi (Donau Universität Krems & VIDC), Matthias Themal (ADA). Migration has become a controversially debated issue and a policy priority, and this is also true for the field of international development. Recent years have seen the booming of 'tackling the root causes' policy approaches in an effort to deter emigration with foreign aid. Education and technical and vocational education (TVET) have been identified as part of the policy toolkit. In fact, policy discourse assumes that TVET in developing countries contributes to employment and growth as the basis for improved livelihoods and decreased motivation to emigrate. By contrast, existing research identifies higher levels of education as one of the major push factors for emigration. In short, the underlying relation between education/TVET and migration is highly complex and far from being straightforward. The conference aims at bringing together researchers and practitioners in the realm of TVET, migration and development in order to facilitate an in-depth discussion on the potential role of TVET in mitigating migration pressure. It will seek to analyse the economic, social, political and cultural conditions that shape the relationship between TVET and migration. In addition, it will also discuss lessons of experience and draw conclusions for the policy level. Please register at: registration@oefse.at<mailto:registration@oefse.at>