Centro Scalabriniano de Estudos Migratórios (CSEM)

What Centro Scalabriniano de Estudos Migratórios (CSEM) does

Centro Scalabriniano de Estudos Migratórios (CSEM) is a non-profit international research institution founded on March 25, 1988, in Brasília, Brazil, and affiliated with the Missionary Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo – Scalabrinianas (MSCS), a Catholic congregation operating across 25 countries. CSEM produces interdisciplinary scientific knowledge on migration, forced displacement, and human mobility, serving academic researchers, policymakers, international organizations, and pastoral institutions. Its core outputs are the REMHU peer-reviewed academic journal (Qualis A2, Scopus, SciELO, DOAJ, Latindex indexed), five complementary book series (Migrações, Caminhos, Memórias, Ecumene, Caminando con los Migrantes), the Paroikos program for monitoring Scalabrinian missions, the Research Program with Núcleo Duro centered on migrant protagonism, and the biennial ICoMiR international conference.

The institution operates as an academic publishing and research body rather than a technology company; it does not develop proprietary software products, APIs, or AI systems. Its distribution model is open-access: digital books and the REMHU journal are disseminated free of charge via the CSEM website and SciELO, while printed volumes are sold on a quote-basis via email order with no distributor network. Revenue is primarily grant-funded through institutional partners including Adveniat (Germany), Weltkirche, and the Scalabrinian Foundation, with minor revenue from print publication sales. The organization employs approximately 7 staff, including researchers, editors, communication analysts, and program coordinators, and on October 3, 2025, expanded its footprint to Europe with the inauguration of CSEM Italy in Rome.

Name

Centro Scalabriniano de Estudos Migratórios (CSEM)

Legal name

Centro Scalabriniano de Estudos Migratórios

Website

https://csem.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Centro Scalabriniano de Estudos Migratórios (CSEM) is a Brasília-based non-profit research institution that publishes the REMHU journal, five book series, and the ICoMiR migration conference, serving academics, policymakers, religious institutions, and international organizations in Latin America, Europe, and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research and Publishing (Migration Studies)

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGABAH

Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYBPAGAAAH

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief

SECONDARYBPADAEAK

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

Keywords

• Migration studies research
• Academic journal publishing
• Interdisciplinary book series
• Pastoral theology publications
• Human mobility research

Headquarters

HQ city

Brasília

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book and Publication Sales: CSEM sells printed books and publications via email order ([email protected]). Digital versions of books are available for free download. The organization does not have its own distribution network.
2. Grant-Funded Research: Research activities are funded through institutional grants from supporting organizations such as Adveniat (Germany), Weltkirche, Scalabrinian Foundation, and other religious and development institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Centro Scalabriniano de Estudos Migratórios (CSEM) is a non-profit international research institution dedicated to producing and disseminating scientific and interdisciplinary knowledge on human migration, forced displacement, and refuge. Its core offerings include the REMHU peer-reviewed academic journal (Qualis A2, indexed in Scopus), five complementary book series (Migrações, Caminhos, Memórias, Ecumene, Caminando con los Migrantes), the Paroikos program for monitoring Scalabrinian missions, and the biennial ICoMiR international conference.

Product overview

CSEM operates as an academic publishing and research institution rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings consist of: (1) REMHU, a peer-reviewed academic journal on human mobility published quadrimestral with Qualis A2 classification; (2) Five complementary book series (Série Migrações, Série Caminhos, Série Memórias, Série Ecumene, Série Caminando con los Migrantes) covering interdisciplinary migration studies, pastoral theology, historical narratives, ecumenical theology, and Spanish-language mission documentation; (3) Programa Paroikos, an institutional monitoring and systematization platform; (4) ICoMiR, a biennial international conference; and (5) A structured research program with a 'Núcleo Duro' (core nucleus) on migrant protagonism. All publications are disseminated primarily as free digital eBooks (PDF) and select printed volumes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• REMHU - Revista Interdisciplinar da Mobilidade Humana: The primary publication of CSEM, a quadrimestral scientific journal on human mobility.
• Série Migrações
• Série Caminhos
• Série Memórias
• Série Ecumene
• Série Caminando con los Migrantes
• ICoMiR - International Conference on Migration and Refuge

Products and services

• REMHU - Revista Interdisciplinar da Mobilidade Humana A quadrimestral peer-reviewed academic journal publishing interdisciplinary analyses on human mobility, migration, and refuge, targeted at academic researchers, graduate students, and policy analysts in Latin America and globally.
• Série Migrações An interdisciplinary book series publishing texts related to human mobility, including studies by CSEM collaborators, organized collections, and event proceedings on migration.
• Série Caminhos A book series publishing author studies and collections related to pastoral theology and human mobility, as well as proceedings from events focused on migration and refuge topics.
• Série Memórias A series publishing studies and narratives with a historical approach, focusing on the work of the Scalabrinian Missionary Sisters, including volumes of the Congregation's History written by historian Lice Maria Signor.
• Série Ecumene A multi-year editorial project developed in partnership with CLAR (Confederación Latino-Americana de Religiosos) that produces and publishes studies on theology of human mobility, targeted at religious and ecclesiastical leaders in academic, institutional, or pastoral settings, available in Portuguese and Spanish.
• Série Caminando con los Migrantes A series that produces and disseminates publications coordinated with the Apostolic Mission Commission of the Scalabrinian Sisters Provinces, strengthening and giving visibility to Spanish-language Scalabrinian missions, with Paroikos System data contributing inputs.
• Programa Paroikos An institutional program for systematizing data, monitoring missionary insertions, and strengthening congregational identity, serving as a platform for communion, listening, and joint construction among different Scalabrinian missionary units and realities across 25 countries.
• ICoMiR - International Conference on Migration and Refuge A biennial global platform convened by CSEM to foster qualified dialogue on migration, refuge, statelessness, and contemporary human mobility, bringing together academics, migrant representatives, civil society organizations, pastoral actors, international agencies, and public authorities.

Quantifiable outcome

• REMHU journal classified as Qualis A2 and indexed in Scopus
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• IOM/OIM (International Organization for Migration)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022CSEM partners with the International Organization for Migration on the 'Social Assistance and Migrants in the Federal District' research project, aimed at profiling international migrants accessing social services in Brasília's SUAS network and mapping their primary needs.
• SEDES-DF (Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Social do Distrito Federal)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with the Department of Social Development of the Federal District for research on migration and social assistance services, examining how migrants access Brazil's unified social assistance system.
• FLACSO (Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Academic partnership with FLACSO Honduras for research on migrants returned with disabilities, including joint publications and field research on the Honduran migration context.
• CLAR (Confederación Latinoamericana de Religiosos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLAR is the confederation of Latin American religious orders and congregations. CSEM collaborates with CLAR on the Ecumene Series - a multi-year editorial project producing theological publications on human mobility for religious leaders, available in Portuguese and Spanish.
• Suore Missionarie di San Carlo Borromeo ScalabrinianecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMother congregation of the Scalabrinian Sisters - the founding organization of CSEM. The congregation of 576 sisters operates in 25 countries across 4 continents.
• IMDH (Instituto Migrações e Direitos Humanos)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian Institute for Migration and Human Rights - a partner organization working on migration and human rights issues in Brazil.
• AS.S.MI. (Associazione Scalabriniane con/per i Migranti)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoman association of Scalabrinian Sisters working with migrants, operating in Rome to provide assistance and support to migrants.
• ASCALA (Asociación Scalabriniana al Servicio de la Movilidad Humana) - Dominican RepublicmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScalabrinian association serving human mobility in the Dominican Republic. CSEM conducts research on ASCALA's work with Haitian migrants and Dominican-Haitians, including a 2023 study on its historical, social, and migratory aspects.
• Bienvenu ShelterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShelter organization for migrants - listed as a partner organization on the CSEM partners page.
• Instituto Madre AsuntamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitute in Mexico operated by Scalabrinian Sisters, serving as a key research site for studies on migrant women at the US-Mexico border (Tijuana).
• SMR (Scalabrinianas Misión con Migrantes y Refugiados) - MexicomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScalabrinian Mission with Migrants and Refugees in Mexico - partner for research and pastoral work with migrants in Mexican contexts.
• Fondazione MigrantesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian foundation of the Scalabrinian Sisters focused on migration. CSEM collaborated on research about human mobility in the Italian ecclesial context (2016-2017), interviewing 115 people including 34 migrants.
• University of the PhilippinesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for the IV ICoMiR 2027 conference to be held in the Philippines, representing CSEM's expansion into the Asia-Pacific region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Internationalis: Global Catholic humanitarian confederation; shares faith-based, migrant-inclusive mission and Latin American presence with CSEM but operates as a massive service-delivery network rather than a focused research institution.
• International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD): An intergovernmental organization providing policy advice, capacity building, and research on migration; comparable as a research-and-policy center though government-sponsored rather than NGO-driven.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM): UN-related intergovernmental body that is both a partner and a quasi-peer of CSEM on migration research; orders of magnitude larger and globally authoritative on migration data, policy, and programming.
• Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS): Catholic Jesuit-affiliated humanitarian organization accompanying, serving, and advocating for refugees; overlaps with CSEM's faith-rooted, migrant-focused identity but is delivery-oriented rather than research-oriented.
• International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC): Global Catholic NGO serving forcibly displaced people; shares CSEM's religious-affiliated humanitarian orientation but operates direct services (resettlement, humanitarian response) rather than research, and is significantly larger.

Direct peers

• Refugee Studies Centre (University of Oxford): Leading global academic center producing interdisciplinary research and a master's degree in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies; comparable in mission and methodology, although better resourced and English-only.
• Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS): A faith-affiliated (CMSNY) non-profit research institute publishing the International Migration Review and migration policy analysis; comparable to CSEM in combining academic publishing with policy/pastoral perspectives on refugee and migrant issues.
• Migration Policy Institute (MPI): A major think tank producing data, analysis, and recommendations on immigration policy internationally; directly comparable as a policy-oriented migration research organization, although far larger and Anglophone-focused.
• Instituto Migrações e Direitos Humanos (IMDH): A Brazilian NGO partner of CSEM also dedicated to migration and human rights; shares CSEM's Lusophone academic-and-advocacy positioning in the Brazilian migration ecosystem and is listed as a core CSEM partner.
• Scalabrini International Migration Institute (SIMI): Founded by the same Scalabrinian missionary network (MSCS male branch) as CSEM, SIMI is a New York-based academic institute focused on migration studies; it is the male-congregation counterpart and the most direct peer in mission, methodology, and Scalabrinian affiliation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_rqaq8iYqtCrJxwXlXh_Hg
• Facebookfacebook.com/csembrasilia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centro-scalabriniano-de-estudos-migrat%C3%B3rios-csem
• Instagraminstagram.com/csembrasilia?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centro Scalabriniano de Estudos Migratórios (CSEM)