The Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR) at OsloMet has been awarded funding from the Research Council of Norway for the project “RECO-YOUTH – From Refugee to Co-Creator: Navigating Integration of Youth Amid Uncertainty”.
The project is one of ten selected under the national mission “No Children or Youth Left Behind” and will contribute new knowledge and practical tools to support the inclusion of young refugees in Norwegian society.
Co-creation for better integration
The project seek to develop and test new approaches for holistic and coordinated integration services, with a particular focus on Ukrainian youth aged 16–21.
By establishing two experimental Living Labs and hosting annual co-creative workshops with public and non-public actors, the project will explore how young refugees can actively shape the services designed to support them, not just receive them.
"Young refugees often possess strong resources, but face systems that don’t always recognize their potential. With this project, we want to shift the perspective, from passive recipients to active co-creators", says project leader Oleksandra Deineko, researcher at NIBR and sociologist from Ukraine.
A practice-oriented research project
The project takes a dual comparative approach:
- It examines integration practices and experiences across municipalities in Norway.
- It also compares integration systems in Norway and Poland to identify opportunities for mutual learning.
–"This project allows us to develop solutions grounded in the lived experiences of youth", Deineko explains.
Supporting a national mission
The project aligns with the Norwegian government’s vision “No Children or Youth Left Behind” and is part of the Research Council’s broader effort to combat social exclusion.
In total, 116 million NOK has been allocated to ten research projects exploring new forms of collaboration and inclusion strategies.
Contributions to academia and practice
In addition to developing practical solutions, the project will contribute to academic literature by introducing and testing new theoretical concepts such as “how long uncertainty” and “navigating between”, which capture the temporality and unpredictability faced by many young refugees.
"We hope the project will become a valuable tool for researchers, practitioners, and most importantly, for the youth themselves, to better understand and improve the integration process", Deineko concludes.
