Strengthening international research collaboration
Odisee University of Applied Sciences has taken a leading role in coordinating the “Transnational Family Dynamics in Europe” (TraFaDy) network, a practice that bridges the gap between academic research and the lived realities of families across borders. This initiative translates deep research insights into actionable policy and practice by facilitating exchanges between sending, transit, and receiving countries. By coordinating interdisciplinary efforts, the initiative builds a robust community focused on one of Europe’s most significant yet often invisible societal phenomena.
Addressing Societal Needs and Research Gaps
The initiative was developed to tackle several critical hurdles in the European research and policy landscape, including:
- Making the invisible visible by addressing the visibility of transnational families (TNFs) in debate and policy.
- Reducing research bias through a coordinated, international approach designed to minimise linguistic and cultural biases in data collection.
- Bridging research and practice by connecting researchers with practitioners and policymakers to ensure evidence-based recommendations.
- Empowering the next generation of researchers through mobility, training, and cross-sector collaboration specifically designed for early-career professionals.
Implementation and Strategic Research Areas
The practice is executed through six thematic working groups that address the complex layers of family migration and dynamics:
- Kinkeeping and vulnerable youth, focusing on maintaining family bonds and supporting young people in transition.
- Social protection, health, and wellbeing, addressing the safety nets and physical and mental health of families living across borders.
- Methodological innovation and policy impact, refining how data is collected across different countries and ensuring results reach government stakeholders. Execution involves a variety of collaborative formats, including Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs), international training schools, public webinars, and multi-actor symposia.
Results and Impact
Since its inception, the TraFaDy network has demonstrated significant academic and social success:
- Broad community building, bringing together more than 430 researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from across Europe and beyond.
- Prolific knowledge sharing, resulting in numerous joint academic articles, books, and special journal issues, alongside new practice-oriented publications.
- Capacity building for researchers, having completed four training schools with high representation from early-career researchers.
- Sustainable collaboration, inspiring follow-up initiatives such as a new joint proposal with Western Balkan University focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Lessons Learned and Transferability
A primary finding of this initiative is that a diverse constituency, including NGOs and policymakers, creates a rich foundation for meaningful, interdisciplinary collaboration. While dissemination to non-academic audiences and methodological harmonisation remain complex challenges, the Action’s modular structure is highly transferable to other research domains. The model is especially suited for lower-resource or emerging research settings due to its heavy emphasis on inclusiveness and capacity building.
Learn more
This case illustrates how international networking can transform fragmented research into a cohesive force for social and policy change. For more information regarding the TraFaDy network and its collaborative impact, please visit the official website at https://transnational-families.eu/ or contact the Odisee University of Applied Sciences’ project team.
We will be back next week with another inspiring good practice from one of our members. It is not too late to submit yours. Please do so by contacting eurashe@eurashe.eu