Forced Migration: Old Phenomenon, New Challenges

This year the MiReKoc (Migration Research Center at Koc University) Summer School, co-branded with the International Metropolis Network, will explore the theme of forced migration, the courses will take place in Istanbul between July 11-21, 2016.

As Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, (2015) stated "We are witnessing a paradigm change, an unchecked slide into an era in which the scale of global forced displacement as well as the response required is now clearly dwarfing anything seen before." While there have been a number of refugee movements throughout history due to wars, the dissolution of empires, conflicts fuelled by ultra-nationalism, the oppressive regimes, and resource scarcity, they pale in comparison to the scope of what we face today. The outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in March 2011 has undoubtedly caused the world's largest humanitarian crisis since World War II. Globally, one in every 122 humans is now either a refugee or internally displaced or asylum seeker according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR). Forced migration has become a growing issue in recent years, all over the world, which unquestionably has long-term impacts not only on immigrant-receiving and emigrant-sending countries, but also those who are forced to flee their homes. As the influx of forced migrants is likely to increase, the phenomena has sparked public debate on the causes of forced migration, its impacts on host societies, its international legal dimension, and discussions about the vulnerability and uncertainty faced by these individuals. This issue has been put on the agenda of academic communities, policy-makers, various governmental, inter-governmental, and non-governmental organizations, as well as humanitarian actors. Right now, the issue of forced migration is more important, and more challenging, than ever.

The MiReKoc International Summer School of 2016 will be focusing on the discussions around forced migration and its challenges. The Summer School will consist of ten days of lectures and discussions led by a distinguished international faculty, combined with seminars led by NGO representatives, and a field trip within Istanbul. In this year’s Summer School will blend historical, theoretical discussions along with the case studies of forced migration from around the world, as well as in and from Turkey.

This program is designed for PhD and graduate students as well as junior experts in the field. Applications from all over the world are encouraged. The fee for the program is 1250 Euro (including accommodation) for international students and 550 (without accommodation) for students from Turkey, and will cover lectures, course materials, and field trips. For all students, merit-based scholarships will be available for selected candidates. There is not a specific form for scholarship applications, all applicants will be considered for the scholarships. The summer school seminars and readings will both be conducted in English. A certificate will be provided upon successful completion of the program. Additional requirements will be imposed on those participants who are seeking course credits (5 ECTS).

Further details about the program and courses will be announced in late March on the MiReKoc Summer School website. If you have any further queries, check out the FAQs guide or please contact the Summer School team or Selin Sivis (Coordinator of Summer School) – Email: mirekoc@ku.edu.tr and ssivis@ku.edu.tr.

Application: Please send the following via email to mirekoc@ku.edu.tr AND ssivis@ku.edu.tr with a subject line "Application for the MiReKoc Summer School of 2016".

• Application Form
• A current resume
• Proof of English (TOEFL and/or IELTS scores OR an official letter signed by relevant authority stating that the medium of education is English)
• One reference letters (Letters can also be e-mailed by the referees)
• Written work sample (Published or unpublished article, book chapter, thesis chapter and/or report preferably on a related migration topic)

Deadline: midnight GMT on Friday, 29 April 2016

Poster (Download)