Reflections from ACRONYM Mobilities: Interviews with François Gemenne and Anneliese Depoux
As the ACRONYM project reached its final phase, we spoke with François Gemenne and Anneliese Depoux about their research mobilities in Bratislava and their collaboration with the Institute for Central Europe (ICE). Their reflections highlight how mobility and close collaboration contributed to the project’s comparative research and strengthened interdisciplinary dialogue on migration.
What were the most rewarding aspects of your collaboration with ICE during your mobility, and how did this experience contribute to the ACRONYM project’s goals?
François: I think the most rewarding aspect of my mobility with ICE was the capacity to write pieces together. We just finished an article summarizing the perspectives of priests in Slovakia and comparing them with findings gathered in France, Belgium, and Italy. Clearly, those working sessions were necessary so that we could compile our views, share insights, and ultimately produce a paper together. Anneliese: I particularly appreciated having the time and space to work through our ideas together and strengthen our final outputs. Since the visit took place toward the end of the ACRONYM project, it allowed us to revisit key findings, clarify shared concepts, and ensure coherence across our outputs. The mobility directly supported ACRONYM’s core objective of fostering cross-national and interdisciplinary dialogue on migration. By working closely together in Bratislava, we were able to strengthen the comparative dimension of the project and ensure that our final results reflect a genuinely collaborative perspective. It was a true team effort, combining expertise and identifying new research avenues that extend beyond the project’s original framework. Being in the same space made these exchanges more fluid and allowed for a creative momentum that is often difficult to replicate online.
Were there any innovative ideas or challenges that stood out during this process?
François: What I find particularly innovative about our research is the focus on priests. Religious actors are clearly influential in shaping perceptions and representations of migration, yet the role of the Church remains something of a blind spot in migration studies. With the project — and of especially through the mobility — we managed to unpack what is still a blind spot in migration studies. This is also why it is so important to spend time together because the perspectives and religious practices differ. In order to understand the influence of the Church in Slovakia, and the importance of religious practice for people, you need to spend time in the local context. Anneliese: One particularly stimulating aspect was further exploring how migration narratives are embedded in specific contexts. Comparing perspectives across countries revealed both shared patterns and important divergences, which enriched our analytical framework. A key challenge was integrating these different viewpoints into coherent joint outputs. However, this process ultimately strengthened the robustness of our research, highlighting the value of sustained cross-border collaboration in addressing complex migration debates.
In your opinion, what has been the most significant outcome of your mobility for the ACRONYM project?
François: In general, I think the most significant outcome has been it is the ability to understand migration perspectives from another country and to compare them with the way they are viewed in your own country. That is a very rewarding aspect, and clearly one of the key purposes of the ACRONYM project. At the end of the day, the goal of the project was to understand why perceptions of migration differ between Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe. I think we did fulfil that objective. Anneliese: For me, the most important outcome has been the reinforcement of a sustainable research partnership. The mobility did not simply contribute to final outputs; it consolidated a mode of collaboration that extends beyond the project itself. It allowed us to leave ACRONYM not only with completed publications, but with a clearer shared research agenda for the future.
What do you see as the most important contribution of the joint publications within the ACRONYM team?
François: The joint publications are, in my view, one of the project’s strongest contributions and the ability to compare different perspectives. It is important that these comparative publications are produced by researchers from different countries who work together on the same projects. That makes the comparison, in my view, even more salient and more pertinent. Anneliese: The joint publications demonstrate the strength of genuinely collaborative research. Rather than presenting parallel national case studies, they integrate perspectives and develop shared analytical arguments. This approach enhances credibility and depth, while also making the findings more accessible to audiences beyond academia. By modelling cross-border scholarly cooperation, the publications reflect the very ethos of ACRONYM and contribute to broader conversations on migration in Europe.
A lighter question: What surprised you most about Bratislava, or what was your favourite aspect of your stay?
François: I must admit — I was very impressed (and jealous!) of the ICE offices. In Liège, we have offices in the middle of the forest — we don’t have a view or a beautiful terrace. The beautiful terrace at ICE deserves to be used much more often! Anneliese: What surprised me most was rediscovering in Bratislava an atmosphere that felt strangely familiar. My first encounter with Slovakia dates back to 2013, just after I had submitted my PhD manuscript, when I was invited to give a talk at a conference organised by the Alliance Française in Banská Bystrica. Returning more than ten years later, I was struck by finding the same warmth in the welcome and the same ease in conversations and exchanges. Beyond the scientific work itself, it was a reminder that European collaborations are also built on human connections, shared memories, and a certain continuity in encounters over time.
