Mobilities, minds and health mini conference 2026

The mini conference will take place at our Colchester campus. Details on how to get to our campus can be found here.

If you are travelling from outside the UK please check if you require an Electronic Travel Authorisation.

If you plan to stay, there are two accommodation options on our Colchester campus. Please note that the conference does not arrange or cover accommodation, and all bookings or enquiries must be made independently and directly with accommodation providers.

• Event Essex Accommodation: Available in an unoccupied student accommodation, so rooms are single ensuite rooms, only suitable for one person on campus.
• Wivenhoe House Hotel: An elegant 18th Century four-star country house hotel located on campus.

The University is located close to Wivenhoe, which has a small selection of nearby bed and breakfast accommodation, including The Flag Inn and The Black Buoy. A Premier Inn is also available in Colchester and can be reached from the conference venue in approximately 30–40 minutes via bus route 87.

Hythe is the closest train station to the venue, while Wivenhoe also has its own rail station.

Additional guidance on accommodation options and local attractions across Essex can be found on the Visit Essex website.

By investigating key determinants of migrants' health, this theme explores various risk factors, the intersections of gender, disability, class, sexuality, and other social locations, and how these influence physical and mental health outcomes.

Emphasis will be given to diverse understandings and applications of intersectionality as well as critical feminist and race theories in diverse contexts of migration.

This theme aims to share learnings on innovative and participatory research methods for engaging migrants, refugees, and vulnerable populations. This could cover ethical, linguistic, cultural, and contextual adaptations of data collection tools, indicators and intervention design; or decolonising existing approaches.

This theme covers community-led, creative, arts-based participatory interventions; and explores concepts of co-creation, co-production, and community-led responses; and approaches to build local capacity and ownership in migration health responses.

This thematic strand will cover different / innovative theoretical frameworks and analytical models that enhance our understanding of health issues (and social and environmental determinants) related to migration.

Examples could include study of migration precarity and unstable and often unsafe conditions migrants endure, and the various health and care-seeking pathways linked to their sociopolitical and economic contexts.

This theme covers experiences and determinants of mental health among migrant and displaced populations. It addresses the impacts of structural and interpersonal violence, trauma, and resilience within these communities.

This theme invites submissions on policy appraisals, review methodologies and examples of utilising evidence to inform policies and practice.