Keynote Speakers
Dr Balázs VENKOVITS
Associate Professor and Director,
Institute of English and American Studies, North American Department
University of Debrecen, Hungary
Biography
Balázs Venkovits (PhD, dr. habil) is associate professor and director of the Institute of English and American Studies, University of Debrecen, Hungary. He is the head of the Canadian Studies Centre and the Center for International Migration Studies with a research focus on Hungarian immigration to North America in the 20th century and the factors shaping migration trajectories in the 1920s. Among others, he has won the Hungarian NRID (2022-26) and Jedlik (2013-14) grants, a JFK Research Fellowship (2013) and a Fulbright (2010-2011). He has presented and published papers in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Keynote Title
“Restructuring Global Migration Trajectories: From Restrictions to New Diasporas and Heritage Preservation”
Taking a historical perspective, this presentation examines how an increasingly restrictive immigration regime in the United States reshaped migration trajectories from Asia and Europe from the late nineteenth century through the interwar period. These restrictions prompted the development of new migration pathways, infrastructures and the growing involvement of intermediaries, while also contributing—often unexpectedly—to the formation of new diaspora communities testifying to migrants’ resilience and adaptability. Drawing connections between this history and contemporary political and public debates, the presentation considers both the intended and unintended consequences of immigration restriction. Through selected case studies, it also addresses practical and methodological questions in diaspora research and heritage preservation. In particular, it advocates community-based approaches that combine digital humanities tools with insights from oral history interviews to document, interpret, and safeguard diaspora heritage.
