Conference Agenda

Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).

Please note that all times are shown in the time zone of the conference. The current conference time is: 20th Sept 2025, 07:52:45pm CEST

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Session Overview
Date: Wednesday, 18/June/2025
8:00am
-
9:00am
Registration
Location: Foyer
9:00am
-
9:15am
Conference Opening
Location: Lecture Hall
 

Welcome Address

Antje Jantsch

IAMO, Germany

9:15am
-
10:15am
Plenary Session 1
Location: Lecture Hall
Session Chair: Antje Jantsch, IAMO
 

How can Big Data and Machine Learning Be Used in Social Science to Measure Well-Being? – The GNH.today

Talita Greyling

University of Johannesburg, South Africa

10:15am
-
11:00am
Coffee Break and Group Participant Photoshoot
Location: Foyer
11:00am
-
12:30pm
A1: Quality of Life in Rural Contexts
Location: Lecture Hall
Session Chair: Kathleen Hermans, IAMO
 

What 'quality of life' means to rural women in Ethiopia: Four regions compared

Günther Schlee1, Betel Begashaw2, Desalech Daniel3, Demelash Emebet4, Defersha Eyob4, Assegid Lidia5, Sahledengle Tirsit6, Ayka Wengelawit3, Yitbarek Yohannes4, Alo Zera5

1: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany; 2: Hawassa University; 3: Bahar Dar University; 4: Arba MInch University; 5: Jimma University; 6: Addis Ababa University



Welfare and well-being as components of farmers’ quality of life

Piotr Sulewski, Anna Kłoczko-Gajewska

Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland



Does the improvement of rural living environment improve subjective well-being in rural China?

Zhen Fang, Gu-cheng Li, Dan Wang

Huazhong Agricultural University, China

B1: Gender and Rural Well-Being
Location: Conference Room I
Session Chair: J Möllers, IAMO
 

A Happiness Paradox: Understanding the Impact of Migration on Women Left Behind in Pakistan

Mansoor Ahmed Koondhar1, Noshaba Aziz2

1: School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, China, People's Republic of; 2: School of Economics, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo China



Double burden or burdenless? A mixed-method study on women’s empowerment in the face of large-scale male labor migration from rural Tajikistan

Mohru Mardonova, Isabel Lambrecht, Sarah Pechtl, Sharanya Rajiv

International Food Policy Research Institute



Empowering Women and Reclaiming Roots: Women’s Regenerative Farming Creates Livelihoods and Counters Migration

Kritika Mishra1, Farhat Naz2

1: PhD Research Scholar, School of Liberal Arts, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India; 2: Associate Professor, School of Liberal Arts, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

C1: Return Migration and Social Integration
Location: Conference Room II
Session Chair: Janine Isabelle Pinkow-Läpple, IAMO
 

Why do “I choose Croatia“? Quality of life considerations in (return) migration decisions.

Caroline Hornstein Tomić1, Janine Isabelle Pinkow-Läpple2, Ana Budimir3

1: Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences; 2: IAMO, Germany; 3: University of Zagreb



Can Cooperatives Help Mitigate Rural Exodus? Insights from a Croatian Case Study

Mario Njavro1, Miroslav Kovac2, Tajana Cop1, Duro Njavro3

1: University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Croatia; 2: Živo Selo” ("Living village"), an informal expert group of agronomists; 3: Zagreb School of Economics and Management



The farmer I want to be: Farmers' role identity in multifunctional agricultural landscapes

Malin Gütschow1, Bartosz Bartkowski1,2

1: Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research UFZ, Germany; 2: Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

12:30pm
-
2:00pm
Lunch
Location: Foyer
2:00pm
-
4:00pm
A2 Organized Session: China’s Rural Renaissance: The Multifacet Case of Rural Revitalization Strategy
Location: Lecture Hall
Session Chair: Zhanli Sun, IAMO
Session Chair: Lena Kuhn, IAMO

Discussants:

Prof. Dr. Jan-Henning Feil, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany

Prof. Dr. Fantao Kong, Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, CAAS, China

Presentations:
 

Review of China’s Rural revitalization: motivation, policies and implications

Kuhn Lena, Zhanli Sun

IAMO, Germany



How does rural-urban migration influence the intergenerational (social) mobility of rural residents in China?

Yifei Ding1, Gucheng Li2

1: IAMO, Germany; 2: Huazhong Agricultural University



The Impact of Poverty Alleviation Resettlement on the Non-farm Labor Supply: Evidence from China

Junna Sun

Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, CAAS, China



Cropland displacement and carbon emissions of grain transport in China

Liangzhi You

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), United States of America



How does social capital influence rural residents’ contribution to public goods? An empirical analysis

Furong Chen1, Yifu Zhao1, Zhanli Sun2

1: Hunan Academy of Social Sciences, China; 2: IAMO, Germany

B2: Data, Models and Indicators for Well-Being and Mobility
Location: Conference Room I
Session Chair: Johnson Kansiime, IAMO
 

Revitalising Well-being: A Novel Approach with the Index of Well-being (IoW)

Johnson Kansiime, Antje Jantsch

IAMO, Germany



Analysing countries ability to transform inputs into well-being using WHR data

Nikolaos Rigas, Francesco Sarracino

STATEC Research, Luxembourg



The Success of Microfinance and the Moderating Effect of Communists: Large-Scale Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Rural China

Yunzhou Wang1, Jing You1,2, Qianyu Zhu1, Jiajuan Zhi1

1: Renmin University of China, China, People's Republic of; 2: University of Cambridge, UK



Gendered Dimensions of Environmental Change-Induced Migration in Rural Ghana

Issah Baddianaah2, Benedicta Frimpong3, Sabine Liebenehm1, Alirah Weyori4

1: University of Saskatchewan, Canada; 2: Tubman University, Harper City, Maryland County, Liberia; 3: CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Ghana; 4: World Food Programme

C2: Place Attachment and Staying Decisions
Location: Conference Room II
Session Chair: Arjola Arapi-Gjini, Leibniz Institute for Agriculture Development in Transition Economies
 

(Im)mobility patterns of older adults living in small rural Iowa towns

Ilona Matysiak

Maria Grzegorzewska University, Poland



Rooted in Place: The Influence of Place Attachment and Well-Being on Staying Intentions in Rural Southeast Europe

Arbnora Shala, Arjola Arapi-Gjini, Antje Jantsch

Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Germany



Inertia, place attachment and staying intentions of rural youth in the Western Balkans

Thomas Dufhues1, Möllers Judith1, Ana Simonovska2, Emelj Tuna2, Iliriana Miftari3, Desjana Grymshi1

1: IAMO, Germany; 2: University Ss Cyril and Methodius in Skopje; 3: University of Pristina



’You Can Have a Very Good Life Here if You Want!’ Four Typologies of Stayers Explaining Rural Immobility

Arjola Arapi-Gjini, Antje Jantsch

Leibniz Institute for Agriculture Development in Transition Economies, Germany

4:00pm
-
4:30pm
Coffee Break
Location: Foyer
4:30pm
-
5:30pm
Plenary Session 2
Location: Lecture Hall
Session Chair: Thomas Herzfeld, IAMO
 

Lifestyle and Livelihood: Motivations for Economic Migrants to Settle in Small Towns and Rural Areas

Anne White

University College London, United Kingdom

5:30pm End of Conference Day 1
Location: Foyer
6:00pm Welcome Dinner
Location: Peißnitzhaus
We will meet at 5:45 pm in the foyer near the main entrance of IAMO to go together to Peißnitzhaus. The walk will take about 15 minutes. Please note that the ground on the terrace of the restaurant is partly sandy, so we recommend wearing comfortable shoes.
Date: Thursday, 19/June/2025
8:00am
-
9:00am
Registration
Location: Foyer
9:00am
-
10:00am
Plenary Session 3
Location: Lecture Hall
Session Chair: Kathleen Hermans, IAMO
 

Migration and Immobility in a Changing Climate: The Role of Compound Risks for Well-Being and Livelihoods

Roman Hoffmann

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria

10:00am
-
10:30am
Coffee Break
Location: Foyer
10:30am
-
12:30pm
A3 Organized Session: Empowering Youth and Women in Agriculture - Strategies for Rural Revitalization in South East Europe
Location: Lecture Hall
Session Chair: Stanimira Penkova, IAK Agrar Consulting GmbH

Panel Discussion on the Topic: "Empowering Youth and Women in Agriculture: Strategies for Rural Revitalization in South East Europe" (TBD)
 

Welcome Address

Stephan Framke

BMLEH, Germany



Welcome Address

Darko Konjevic

SWG RRD, North Macedonia



Rural Youth in SEE

Emelj Tuna

Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food-Skopje, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, North Macedonia



Rural Women in SEE

Ana Simonovska

Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Agricultural Sciencies and Food-Skopje, North Macedonia



Outmigration in SEE

Arjola Arapi-Gjini

Leibniz Institute for Agriculture Development in Transition Economies, Germany

B3: Shocks and Migration
Location: Conference Room I
Session Chair: Arbnora Shala, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO)
 

Migration patterns: The complex roles of poverty and weather extremes

Barchynai Kimsanova1, Thomas Herzfeld1,2, Atabek Umirbekov1, Hermans Kathleen1, Daniel Muller1,3,4, Nodir Djanibekov1

1: IAMO, Germany; 2: Martin-Luther- Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany; 3: Humbold-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 4: Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany



County industrial structure change and rural intergenerational education mobility in China

Yifei Ding1,2, Gucheng Li2

1: IAMO, Germany; 2: Huazhong Agricultural University, China



Forced displacement of the population of Ukraine to rural areas: challenges of adaptation and prospects in the context of a military crisis

Iuliia Vasylivna Samoilyk

Poltava State Agrarian University, Ukraine

C3: Governance and Policy Dimensions of Migration
Location: Conference Room II
Session Chair: Nodir Djanibekov, IAMO
 

Empowerment or Exploitation? Agricultural Reforms on Female Labor Participation in Central Asia

Pengshan Pan1, Nodir Djanibekov2, Jennifer Murtazashvili3

1: New Uzbekistan University; 2: Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies; 3: University of Pittsburgh



Does the zonation of Biosphere Reserves lead to inequities? Analysing from the perspective of the livelihood-resource nexus

Lun Yang

Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, People's Republic of



Beyond Hayek’s dichotomy: Informal governance and cooperation among farmers in a transition economy

Engjell Skreli1, Orjon Xhoshi1, Vladislav Valentinov2, Edvin Zhllima1, Drini Imami1

1: Agriculture University of Tirana, Albania; 2: IAMO



Linking risk preferences and land use right perceptions: A Prospect Theory approach

Abdusame Tadjiev1, Zafar Kurbanov1, Nodir Djanibekov1, Jens Rommel2, Thomas Herzfeld1

1: IAMO, Halle, Germany; 2: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden

12:30pm
-
2:00pm
Lunch
Location: Foyer
2:00pm
-
3:30pm
A4 Organized Session: Innovation in the Countryside: Advancing Rural Economies in Western Balkans
Location: Lecture Hall
Session Chair: Irena Djimrevska, GIZ
 

Preserving Tradition, Embracing Progress: The Development of Rural Societies in Albania

Klodjan Rama

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Germany



Improvement of quality of life in rural areas through diversification

Anica Palazzo

GIZ, North Macedonia



Increasing Access to European Framework Programs: Where Development Cooperation and Academia meet

Michael Oos

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Albania

B4: Climate Risks and Migration
Location: Conference Room I
Session Chair: Tom Dufhues, IAMO
 

Understanding Migration through Climate Risk Perceptions

Kathleen Hermans, Setenay Kizilkaya

Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies: Leibniz-Institut fur Agrarentwicklung in Transformationsokonomien, Germany



Thirsty lands, displaced lives: The limits of migration as adaptation in the context of environmental and climate (im)mobilities at Lake Urmia, Iran

Sebastian Fernand Transiskus, Matthias Schmidt, Monir Gholamzadeh Bazarbash

University of Augsburg, Germany



Climate Change and Migration Intentions in European Temperate Zones: The Role of Objective and Perceived Climate Stressors

Lena Kuhn, Antje Jantsch

Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Germany

C4: Food Security and Rural Health
Location: Conference Room II
Session Chair: Arjola Arapi-Gjini, Leibniz Institute for Agriculture Development in Transition Economies
 

Cause or Result? The Relationship Between Internet Use and Mental Health Risks Among Rural Children

yu wan1, Tianli Feng2, Huan Wang3, Qiran Zhao1, Scott Rozelle3

1: College of Economic and Management, China Agricultural University, China; 2: School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, China; 3: Center on China's Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, USA



Household Food Security Dynamics in Kyrgyzstan (2013–2022): A Probabilistic Approach

Salima Bekbolotova1, Nodir Djanibekov1, Barchynai Kimsanova1, Thomas Herzfeld1,2

1: Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Germany; 2: Martin Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg: Halle, Sachsen-Anhalt, DE



Pathways to food security in Tajikistan: direct and indirect effects of migration through farm resilience

Bekhzod Egamberdiev1,2, Ihtiyor Bobojonov1, Lena Kuhn1, Thomas Glauben1

1: IAMO, Germany; 2: German-Uzbek Chair on Central Asian Agricultural Economics (GUCAE), International Agriculture University (IAU)

3:30pm
-
5:00pm
Poster Session with Coffee
Location: Corridor on the first floor
 

Migration Intentions and Return Migration: Evidence from the OeNB Euro Survey

Antje Hildebrandt

Oesterreichische Nationalbank, Austria



Student Migration During Wartime: Forecasting and Implications for the Future of Ukrainian Higher Education (An ARIMA Model Analysis)

Nataliya Stoyanets

Sumy National Agrarian University, Ukraine, Ukraine



Impact of Climate Risks on Farm Profitability in Fruit and Nut Agroforestry Systems in Kyrgyzstan

Jannike van Bruggen1, MD Sofiullah1, Dietrich Darr2

1: Hochschule Rhein-Waal, Germany; 2: Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, Germany



Teaching and Living in Rural Kazakhstan: Insights from a Photovoice Study of Beginning Teachers

Sultan Kozhamberdiyev1, Janet Helmer2

1: Astana Garden School/Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan; 2: Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan



Balancing Development and Preservation: Land Use Change, Migration, and Rural Sustainability in Iran

Mojtaba Nikzad, Eva Gerharz

Hochschule Fulda (Fulda University of Applied Sciences), Germany



Tracing the journey: Mapping migration routes from coastal Bangladesh in the context of climate change

Mehdi Azam

Macquarie University, Australia



Municipal Medical Care Centres as a solution for GP care and part of integrat-ed town development in rural areas: The case of Marienmünster

Dominic Behde

HafenCity Universität Hamburg, Germany



The Contribution Claim Model as alternative approach to private climate finance and sustainable development

Sina Brod, Dimitrios Karatassios, Michael Albrecht

Foundation Development and Climate Alliance, Germany



Living with Environmental Threats: Immobility Processes in the Bengal Delta

Moitrayee Sengupta

TU Dresden, Germany



Strengthening the Development Potential of Rural Areas through Territorial Partnerships in Poland and Ukraine

Iryna Kostetska1, Bogusława Baran-Zgłobicka2

1: National University of Ostroh Academy, Ukraine; 2: Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Poland

5:00pm
-
6:30pm
A5: A Living Between Rural and Urban
Location: Lecture Hall
Session Chair: Johnson Kansiime, IAMO
 

Rural Well-Being and Migration in Moldova: Unraveling Socioeconomic and Place-Based Determinants of (Im)Mobility

Dumitru Slonovschi

Magentaa Consulting, Moldova



From Cities to Countryside: COVID-19's Effects on Rural Migration and Development

Dina Moawad1,2

1: University of Gastronomic Science, Italy; 2: University of Naples Parthenope



The causes and consequences of the new wave of emigration from the village in Albania.

Ervin Kaçiu

Institute of Anthropology, Academy of Sciences of Albania, Albania

B5: Institutions, Preferences, and Economic Choices
Location: Conference Room I
Session Chair: Zafar Kurbanov, IAMO (Halle, Germany)
 

Farming under Scarcity: How irrigation water shortages relate to risk and time preferences of smallholders in Kyrgyzstan

Marlen Tynaliev1, Abdusame Tadjiev1,2, Nodir Djanibekov1, Alexis Villacis3, Thomas Herzfeld1

1: Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO); 2: Samarkand Agroinnovations and Research University, Uzbekistan; 3: Ohio State University



Decoding the Label: How Design and Language Shape Georgian Wine Preferences Across Generations

Sophie Ghvanidze1, Miranda Svanidze2

1: Hochschule Geisenheim University, Germany; 2: IAMO, Germany



Socioeconomic conditions in Cambodian rice farming and their role in predicting farm succession: A case study in the Damnak Ampil irrigation scheme

Brian Beadle1, Fumi Okura2

1: University of Greenland; 2: Japanese International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)

C5 Organized Session: The Great Rural Shift: Migration and Livelihood Challenges in the Western Balkans
Location: Conference Room II
Session Chair: J Möllers, IAMO
Session Chair: Drini Imami, Agriculture University of Tirana
 

Migration and Youth Generational Transfer – The Case of North Macedonia

Aleksandra Martinovska Stojcheska

Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia



Migration and Farm Succession – The Case of Albania

Orjon Xhoxhi, Edvin Zhllima

Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania



Migration Intentions – The Case of Kosovo

Iliriana Miftari

University of Prishtina, Kosovo

6:30pm End of Conference Day 2
7:00pm BBQ at IAMO
Date: Friday, 20/June/2025
8:30am
-
9:00am
Registration
Location: Foyer
9:00am
-
10:30am
B6 Organized Session: How Decentralization Helps Foster Economic Resilience of Rural Areas in Ukraine During the War?
Location: Conference Room I
Session Chair: Vasyl Kvartiuk, IAMO
 

Practical Experience of the APD Project in Enhancing the Competence of Pilot Community in the Context of Sustainable Agrarian and Rural Development

Mariya Yaroshko

German-Ukrainian Agricultural Policy Dialogue, Ukraine



Evaluating a capacity-building project for Ukrainian communities: An experimental approach

Vasyl Kvartiuk

IAMO, Germany



Benchmarking Local Governments Performance

Oleg Nivievskyi

Kyiv School of Economics, Ukraine

C6 Organized Session: Land as a Social Institution - Governance, Property Rights, and Market Interactions
Location: Conference Room II
Session Chair: Samuel Brea, IAMO
 

Land Tenure Security and Agricultural Investment: Evidence from China’s Latest Tenure Extension Reform

Tong Wang

Sichuan Agricultual University,China, Germany



The Interaction between Clans and Local Government in China's Land Acquisition

Yilin Cui

Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Germany



The Impact of Land Rights Reorganization on Collectives' Land Protection Behavior: Taking the Cases of Two Provinces as an Example

Xuchao Che

IAMO, Germany



Who Deserves the Land? Public Morals and the Push for Land Market Access Rules

Samuel Brea

IAMO, Spain

10:30am
-
11:00am
Coffee Break
Location: Foyer
11:00am
-
12:30pm
Moderated Panel Discussion: What Makes Rural Areas Livable? Sustainability vs. Quality of Life and Rural Development
Location: Lecture Hall
Session Chair: Jennifer Hauck, CoKnow Consulting

Discussants:

Saamah Abdallah, Hot or Cool Institute, Germany
Mechthild Anna Becker, DGAP’s Center for Climate and Foreign Policy, Germany
Caroline Hornstein Tomić, Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences, Croatia
Drini Imami, Faculty of Economics and Agribusiness, Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania
12:30pm
-
12:40pm
IAMO Forum Closure
Location: Lecture Hall
Session Chair: Thomas Herzfeld, IAMO
12:40pm
-
12:45pm
IAMO Forum 2025 Best Poster Award
Location: Lecture Hall
12:45pm
-
1:30pm
Lunch
Location: Foyer
1:30pm
-
3:30pm
Post-Conference Session: Socio-Economic Farm and Household Data Sets on Central Asia: Which Data Is Available and How Could It Be Used?
Location: Conference Room II
Session Chair: Martin Petrick, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
 

Life in Kyrgyzstan study

Damir Esenaliev

Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Germany



AGRICHANGE/SUSADICA farm survey

Abdusame Tadjiev

Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Germany



UzFarmBarometer farm manager survey

Nodir Djanibekov

IAMO, Germany



Central Asian data user perspective

Bakhrom Mirkasimov

Westminster International University in Tashkent, Uzbekistan



Western academic data user perspective

Sabine Liebenehm

University of Saskatchewan, Canada