Research Project
This research investigates social resilience and diasporic citizenship in migrant communities, focusing on how migrants adapt and thrive despite challenges. It explores the concepts like becoming and belonging, togetherness, social support, and integration, all crucial for building sustainable well-being. By examining migrants’ lived experiences and social membership, the study highlights the role of civil society and social service sector in fostering inclusion diasporic belonging. The project addresses key questions around how migrants construct their sense of citizenship, negotiate identity and well-being, and how social services can enhance their experiences. It uses an interdisciplinary framework, integrating theories such as status construction, social resilience, and social identity. Using a phenomenological and participatory research approach, the study includes qualitative interviews with migrants and social workers, along with creative workshops to capture the diverse social experiences of participants. The research unfolds in three phases: data collection, networking workshops with social actors, and dissemination of findings through publications, conferences, and digital media. Ultimately, this project seeks to bridge the gap between human rights-based and social membership-based integration, offering valuable insights for future studies on diversity, community, and social justice.
Research Interests
- Migration and Social Resilience: Exploring the lived experiences of migrants and their pathways to social integration.
- Participatory Research Methodologies: Employing bottom-up approaches to amplify diverse voices and foster inclusivity.
- The Phenomenology of Social Resilience: Understanding resilience as a deeply personal and collective lived experience.
- Well-being and Well-becoming: Promoting sustainable approaches to individual and community well-being.
- Community Networks and Digital Inclusion: Investigating the role of social and digital networks in fostering inclusion and resilience.
- Interdisciplinary Social Sciences for Societal Advancement: Bridging disciplines to address complex social challenges and create a more inclusive society.
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Short Bio Note
Azher Hameed Qamar is a social scientist and researcher with expertise in migration, social resilience, holistic well-being, and participatory methodologies. Holding a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, his interdisciplinary work spans sociology, anthropology, and psychology. Azher’s research emphasizes the lived experiences, community integration, and innovative approaches to social research. His recent project at Lund University, Sweden, advances theoretical, methodological, and empirical understanding of social resilience in migration contexts. A prolific author and seasoned conference presenter, Azher is dedicated to promoting inclusive policies and fostering deeper societal understanding through his research and teaching.
Employment:
December 2024 - January 2025: Visiting Lecturer Social Work (Lund University, Sweden)
April 2021- March 2024: Post-doc Researcher Social Work (Lund University, Sweden)
August 2019- March 2021: Assistant Professor Behavioral Sciences (National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan)
February 2014- August 2019: Assistant Professor Behavioral Sciences (University of Management and Technology, Pakistan)
Education
2019: Ph.D Interdisciplinary Child Research (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU Norway)
2010: MPhil Childhood Studies (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU Norway)
Pedagogical Education and Training
2003: M.Ed (Educational Psychology) University of the Punjab, Pakistan
2000: B.Ed (Bachelor in Education) University of the Punjab, Pakistan
2023: Teaching and Learning - Extension (Department of Educational Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden)
Others
2022: Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Department of Educational Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
2016: Teaching and Research Supervision Training for Research Fellows Faculty of Social Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
2024-2025: Member of Network for Research on Migration and Health (NeRMiH)
2022-2025: Member of Society for Critical Studies of Crisis (SCSC), Lund University Sweden
Session Chair
May 2024: Social resilience and migration. Workshop on Crisis Inequalities and Social Resilience. Society for Critical Studies of Crisis (SCSC), Lund University, Sweden
May 2022: Research for Sustainability and Change. International Conference on Clinical Practice and Rehabilitation: Knowledge for Sustainable Development – Lund University Research Conference, Sweden.
December 2021: Qualitative Research in Clinical Psychology. International Conference on Clinical Practice and Rehabilitation: The Interplay of Mind, Body, and Soul. Centre for Clinical Psychology, University of the Punjab, Pakistan
Member of Scientific Committee
February 2022: Member of Scientific Committee - 2nd International Conference on Business, Management and Social Sciences (ICBMASS-22). School of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
December 2021: Member of Scientific Committee - International Conference on Clinical Practice and Rehabilitation: The Interplay of Mind, Body, and Soul. Centre for Clinical Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore Pakistan.
March 2020: Member of Scientific Committee - National Conference on Qualitative Psychology (NCQP2020). Department of Behavioral Sciences, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
Conference / Webinar Organizer
2021-2024: Webinar Organizer - Society for Critical Studies of Crisis Webinar Series at Lund University, Sweden
2020: Conference Organizer - First National Conference on Qualitative Psychology (NCQP2020) - National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
Publications
Edited Books:
Kauko, S., Nordbeck, P. C., & Qamar, A. (Eds.). (2025, in press). Social Resilience: Critical Responses to Change and Challenges. Vernon Press, USA.
Book Chapter
Qamar, A. H. (2025, in press). The Church's Café Serving Migrants in Sweden: Creating a Support Network for Social Resilience. In S. Kauko, P. C. Nordbeck, & A. Qamar (Eds.), Social Resilience: Critical Responses to Change and Challenges, Vernon Press USA.
Journal Articles
(Social Resilience and Migration)
1. Qamar, A. H. (2024). Social Resilience: A Critical Synopsis of Existing Definitions. Corvinus Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 15(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.14267/CJSSP.2024.1.6
2. Qamar, A. H. (2024). Young Adult Migrants’ Social Experiences in Sweden: ‘Melting Pot’ and ‘Salad Bowl’ Perspectives on Social Integration. Children & Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12857
3. Qamar, A. H. (2024). The Traveller, the Miner and the Gardener: Metaphors for Making Teaching and Learning a Meaningful Process. Lifelong Learning and Higher Education: New and Old Perspectives. Proceedings from the 2022 Lund University Conference on Teaching and Learning, Pp. 53-61. Media- Tryck, Lund University, Sweden. https://doi.org/10.37852/oblu.254
4. Qamar, A. H. (2023). Researching Social Resilience in the Context of Migrants’ Life Transition: A Qualitative Methodological Mosaic. Psychology. Journal of the Higher School of Economics, 20(4), 796-813. DOI: 10.17323/1813-8918-2023-4-796-813
5. Qamar, A. H. (2023). Social dimensions of resilience and climate change: a rapid review of theoretical approaches. Present Environment and Sustainable Development, 17(1), 139-153. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47743/pesd2023171010
6. Qamar, A. H. (2023). Conceptualizing social resilience in the context of migrants’ lived experiences. Geoforum, 139, 103680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2023.103680
Blog Articles
1. Qamar, A.H. (January 10, 2024). Denmark has banned the burning of holy books to protect its multicultural society. The Loop: ECPR’s Political Science Blog. https://theloop.ecpr.eu/denmark-has-banned-the-burning-of-holy-booksto-protect-its-multicultural-society/
2. Qamar, A.H. (October 16, 2023). The Tidö Agreement drags Sweden’s social welfare sector into ethical crisis. The Loop: ECPR’s Political Science Blog. https://theloop.ecpr.eu/the-tido-agreement-drags-swedens-social-welfare- sector-into-ethical-crisis/
3. Qamar, A.H. (August 18, 2023). Burning a holy book: the dilemma of free speech. The Loop: ECPR’s Political Science Blog. https://theloop.ecpr.eu/burning-a-holy-book-the-dilemma-of-free-speech/
4. Qamar, A.H. (June 12, 2023). Unstructured Interviews – A Conversational Iceberg. Methodspace (SAGE). https://www.methodspace.com/blog/unstructured-interviews-a-conversational-iceberg
5. Qamar, A.H. (December 14, 2022). The Doll’s Marriage: An Ethnographic Encounter with Rural Children and Childhood. Methodspace (SAGE). https://www.methodspace.com/blog/the-dolls-marriage-an-ethnographic- encounter-with-rural-children-and-childhood
Self-Published Books
1. 2024- Writing a Qualitative Research Proposal for Ethical Approval. A Guide for Project Description and Ethical Considerations. Amazon (Self) Publishing.
2. 2024- Knitting the Threads of Consciousness: An Illustrated Guide to Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Amazon Publishing. 3. 2024- Social Resilience: A Primer for All: Enhance Social Experiences and Foster Social Resilience. Amazon Publishing.
Scientific Talks
1. 12-13 Nov 2024. Qamar, A. H. ”The evolution of ‘heroic’ resilience into ‘social’ resilience: (Re)conceptualization of resilience in textural and structural social context”. Resilience and Militarisation. Copenhagen workshop, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland.
2. 11-12 June 2024. Qamar, A. H. “Social Construction of ‘Equality’ and Migrants Experiences of Integration: An Interpretive Experiential Approach to Investigate ‘Quality’ of Equality”. Resilience, Transitions and Neoliberal Dynamics. Copenhagen workshop, University of Copenhagen. Denmark.
3. 28-29 May 2024. Qamar, A. H. Social Resilience and Migration: The Conceptual Connections”. Workshop on Crisis Inequalities and Social Resilience. Society for Critical Studies of Crisis (SCSC), Lund University, Sweden.
4. 18-19 April 2024. Qamar, A. H. "The ’Café’: Non-state social actors’ initiative to create inclusive social spaces for migrants”. Conference on Civil Society Studies, Aalborg University and Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark.
5. 05-08 March 2024. Qamar, A. H. "Social Resilience: A Paradigm Shift from Psychology of Resilience to Social Psychology of Resilience (I to We and We- ness)”. Social Work International Week. Hogeschool Utrecht. Institute for Social Work, University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
6. 16-17 February 2023. Qamar, A. H. The Church's Café Serving Migrants in Sweden: Creating a Support Network for Social Resilience. Social Work Research Days 2023: Migration and Diversity in Social Work. University of Helsinki, Helsinki Finland.
7. 17 November 2022. Qamar, A. H. The Traveller, Miner, and Gardener: Metaphors for Making Teaching and Learning a Meaningful Process. Lund University Conference on Teaching and Learning (LUTL-2022), Lund University, Sweden.
8. 25-26 August 2022. Qamar, A. H. Social Dimensions of Resilience and Climate Change: A Rapid Review. Innovative Approaches: Climate Change Resilience in Urban Environments. Resilience in Urban Sudan (RUS) Project, Malmö University, Malmö Sweden.
9. 12-13 July 2022. Qamar, A. H. Social Value of the Child: A Resource for Enhanced Social Experience and Social Resilience in Pro-baby Global South. Children and Childhood Conference, Ipswich, United Kingdom. 10. 2-4 June 2022. Qamar, A. H. Researching Migrant Children: Proposing a Qualitative Research Mosaic. International Conference on Child Migration and Integration: Trends and Challenges, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law. Ljubljana, Slovenia.
11. 10 Feb 2022 - Qamar, A. H. Problematizing Definition of Social Resilience: A Scoping Review of Popular Definitions. 2nd International Conference on Business, Management and Social sciences (ICBMASS-22). School of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
12. 9 Dec 2021 – Qamar, A. H. Motherhood: A Resource for Social Resilience and Holistic Wellbeing. International Conference on Clinical Practice and Rehabilitation: The Interplay of Mind, Body, and Soul. Centre for Clinical Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore Pakistan.
13. 4 May 2021 – Qamar, A. H. Conceptualizing and Researching Resilience: Need for Theoretical and Methodological Triangulation. Knowledge for Sustainable Development – Lund University Research Conference. Lund University, Sweden.
14. 6 Nov 2023 – Social Resilience and Social Integration: Challenges in Social Work. Invited talk at Resursenhet Barn & Unga (Resource Unit for Children and Young People), Lund Kommun, Lund, Sweden.
15. 6 Oct 2023 – Social Resilience and Young Adult Migrants in Sweden. Research Day, School of Social Work, Lunds University, Lund, Sweden.
16. 29 Sep 2023 - From Political Crisis to Permacrisis in Pakistan: Changes and Challenges. SASNET symposium, Swedish South Asian Studies Network. Lunds University, Lund, Sweden.
17. 20 Sep 2023 - Vulnerability, Social Capital and Psychology. Department of Behavioral Sciences, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
18. 20 Sep 2022 - Psycho-Social Capital and Resilience in the Context of Climate Change. Department of Behavioral Sciences, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
19. Nov 2021. Webinar – Social Resilience and Migration. School of Social Work. Lund University (LU), Sweden.
20. May 2019. Gender, Generational and Familial Dynamics in Infant Care Belief Practices in Rural Asian Context. Department of Education and Lifelong Learning, Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences. Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.