WELCOME to our second quarterly newsletter of 2017, keeping you up-to-date on our migration activities, events, and publications at UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance. View online. |
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ANNOUNCEMENT |
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Accreditation for Academic Institutions for Global Compact Discussions Last year UN Member States adopted the landmark New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, which included an agreement to hold intergovernmental discussions leading to the adoption of a global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration at an intergovernmental conference to be held in 2018. Member states have requested multi-stakeholder participation in these discussions, including by academic institutions, and a special accreditation process has been launched to facilitate this participation. Stakeholders include academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, diaspora organizations, migrant organizations, and private sector entities. For the first time, academic institutions are asked to apply for accreditation separately from non-governmental organizations, through a system set up with United Nations University (UNU). If your academic institution is not ECOSOC-accredited please apply for accreditation here before 16 April 2017. |
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NEW PROJECTS |
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Strengthening Migration Management Authorities in Kosovo (MIMAK) UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance, in a consortium with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), have been commissioned by the Swiss Development Cooperation to carry out the Strengthening Migration Management Authorities in Kosovo (MIMAK) project. MIMAK aims to improve migration management and discourage irregular migration by strengthening the capacities of the migration management authorities in Kosovo. Prof. Melissa Siegel travelled to Kosovo between January 23-27, 2017 to talk to a variety of stakeholders in migration management to identify their training needs. One component of MIMAK will be the support of the development of the Kosovo Migration Profiles. For this purpose Katrin Marchand led workshops with the working groups drafting different parts of the Migration Profile Light for 2016 in Pristina on March 20-21, 2017. |
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UNICEF Project: Child Marriage in South Asia A team of researchers from UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance have been mandated by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to undertake a study on the key drivers of child marriage in South Asia where four in 10 girls are married underage. To inform UNICEF on possible interventions and programmes to end child marriage, a multi-country analysis will be conducted to better understand the micro- and macro-level drivers that may contribute to the decline in child marriage in the region. The analysis is based on desk research and quantitative data analysis. The innovative part of the project is its focus on macro-level drivers of child marriage. |
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Policy Coherence Dashboard on Migration and Development at the Local Level Prof. Dr. Melissa Siegel has been commissioned by the United Nation’s Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI) to develop a dashboard of indicators on policy coherence on migration and development at the local level. The dashboard aims at helping local authorities to better understand how migration and development related policies interact across a variety of sectors and to support them in enhancing policy coherence in the field of migration and development in line with migration-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Together with Elaine McGregor, Sarah Langley and Julia Reinold, Prof. Siegel will develop the dashboard based on desk research and stakeholder interviews. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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UNU Migration Network Jointly Convening Panel Series in New York The UNU Migration Network is a platform across the institutes of the UNU system encouraging collaboration between researchers working on migration which is currently coordinated by UNU-MERIT. Between April and July 2017 the network and the UNU Office in New York (UNU-ONY) will jointly convene a ‘Panel Series on Academic Thinking on Migration’ in New York. The series of four panels is held against the backdrop of thematic consultations feeding into negotiations towards a Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. It is intended to help diplomatic missions in New York to engage with current academic thinking on migration. On April 20, 2017 the first panel ‘The Rise of Nationalist Politics and Policy Implications for Migration’ will be held. The events are sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). More information on the panel series can be found here. |
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Inaugural Lecture: Melissa Siegel In August 2016, Melissa Siegel was appointed Professor of Migration Studies at Maastricht University. On June 2, Prof. Dr. Melissa Siegel will deliver her inaugural lecture ‘Migration &: The Depth and Breadth of Migration Studies’ in the Aula at Minderbroedersberg, 4-6, Maastricht University from 16:30 to 17:30. Prof. Siegel leads the Migration and Development research theme at UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance. She is also Co-Director and head of the Migration and Development research theme of the Maastricht Centre for Citizenship, Migration and Development (MACIMIDE), the Coordinator of the UNU Migration Network and on the board of the Hague Process on Refugees and Migration. |
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MACIMIDE Workshop on Citizenship, Migration and Development From April 10-11, 2017, the Maastricht Centre for Citizenship, Migration and Development (MACIMIDE) will host its annual workshop on Citizenship, Migration and Development including presentations related to its four thematic areas: Migration and Development, Citizenship and Immigrant Integration, Transnational Families, and Cross-border Mobility. The workshop provides an opportunity for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers to present their research, gain feedback, and expand their research networks. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to attend specialised training sessions focused on key issues of theory, methods and ethics of research on migration, citizenship and development. The programme is currently being finalised. |
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Migration Seminars In conjunction with the Maastricht Centre for Citizenship, Migration and Development (MACIMIDE), the Migration and Development research group at UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance organises a series of migration-related seminars to provide a platform to discuss the research output of researchers at the School and to invite external speakers to share their work. On April 19, 2017 Anna Knoll, Head of the Migration Programme at the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), will give the next seminar. The next seminars are scheduled to take place on May 10 and 24, 2017. To join our mailing list and receive invitations to future seminars, or to express interest in delivering a seminar, please email Dr. Michaella Vanore.
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APPAM Conference On July 13-14, 2017, the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) conference will be held in Brussels, Belgium. The conference invites researchers, analysts, and policy makers to critically reflect on their experiences of working on issues of public policy and governance beyond borders. The theme of the 9th annual International Conference will be ‘Public Policy and Governance Beyond Borders’ and Population, Migration and Refugees is one of nine policy areas of focus. The event is sponsored by UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance and Syracuse University. |
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PAST EVENTS |
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Migrating out of Poverty Conference On March, 28-29 2017, PhD fellow Katrin Marchand and researcher Elaine McGregor presented papers at the Migrating out of Poverty Research Programme Consortium conference 'From Evidence to Policy' at the Brunei Gallery at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. ‘Migrating out of Poverty’ is a seven-year research programme consortium (RPC) funded by the UK’s Department for International Development. It focuses on the relationship between internal and regional migration and poverty and is located in six regions across Asia, Africa and Europe. The RPC is co-ordinated by the University of Sussex. |
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Ambassador Lecture Series On March 14, 2017 and March 22, 2017 the Canadian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Sabine Nölke, and the Mexican Ambassador to the Netherlands, Eduardo Ibarrola Nicolin, respectively, delivered public lectures at UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance. They both discussed the migration experiences of their countries. To see Sabine Nölke’s full lecture and a short conversation between her and Melissa Siegel follow this link. For more information on Eduardo Ibarrola Nicolin’s lecture and a short conversation between him and Melissa Siegel follow this link. |
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Support to Implementation of the Mobility Partnership with Azerbaijan From February 27 to March 1, 2017 Prof. Melissa Siegel travelled to Baku, Azerbaijan to provide input to the ‘Support to Implementation of the Mobility Partnership with Azerbaijan (MOBILAZE)’ project carried out by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development ICMPD. The objective of the project is to support the implementation of the Mobility Partnership between the EU and Azerbaijan with a specific focus on strengthening the capacity of the government of Azerbaijan to develop and implement its national migration policy. Prof. Siegel advised the Azerbaijani government on its labour migration policy in general and the quota system specifically. From April 1-2, Prof. Siegel and Dr. Michaella Vanore travelled to Azerbaijan again to deliver capacity training. |
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Studium Generale Lecture Series on Migration Studium Generale, part of Maastricht University’s Student Service Centre, is currently organizing a lecture series addressing migration related topics. On March 8, 2017 Prof. Dr. Ronald Skeldon delivered a lecture entitled “Migration and Development: the Changing Nexus of Debate” and on March 29, 2017 Prof. Dr. Melissa Siegel spoke about “The Links between Migration and Corruption”. During her lecture Prof. Siegel explored the general links between migration and corruption and discussed findings from two recent research projects commissioned by GIZ that she implemented together with a team of researchers from UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance. |
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Rotary Club Maastricht: Myths and Realities of Migration The Rotary Club Maastricht invited Prof. Dr. Melissa Siegel to hold a presentation on migration, in the backdrop of the increased attention given to the topic the run up to the 2017 general elections in the Netherlands. During her presentation on February 21, 2017, Prof. Siegel discussed the myths and realities of migration and addressed common misconceptions about migration such as the idea that migration is at an all-time high, that refugees are mainly hosted in developed countries, and that migration restrictions reduce migration. The Rotary Club Maastricht is part of Rotary International, a global network of 1.2 million members who come together to make positive, lasting change in communities across the world. |
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TRAINING PROGRAMMES |
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Migration Management Diploma Programme Four years ago, the Migration Management Diploma Programme (MMDP) accepted its first cohort of students. On March 31, we welcomed our fifth cohort of students to Maastricht for our Migration Management Diploma Programme (MMDP). Students follow three months of intensive training on different aspects of migration policy making. The MMDP trains government officials working on migration management issues and is supported by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and the Dutch Repatriation and Departure Service (DTenV). More information about our programme can be found in the latest brochure. |
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Online Courses For those who are interested but do not have the time to take a full-time course in migration studies, UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance offer a number of specially designed online courses to suit the needs of busy professionals. We currently offer three courses that can be started at any time: 1) Introduction to Migration Studies; 2) Migration and Remittance Effects; and 3) Comparative Migration Policy. Keep an eye on our website for the launch of a new online course in 2017 on Internal Migration by Prof. Ronald Skeldon and on Forced Migration later in the year. Watch introduction videos for the course on our YouTube channel (internal migration/ forced migration). For further information please contact Katrin Marchand. |
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New Publications Constant, Amelie & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2017, Challenged by migration: Europe's options, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2017-018 Siegel, Melissa, Michaella Vanore & Jennifer Waidler, 2017, Does it Matter Where the Children Are? The Well-Being of the Elderly ‘Left Behind’ by Migrant Children in Moldova, Ageing & Society, 37/3:607-632 Naudé, Wim, Melissa Siegel & Katrin Marchand, 2017, Migration, entrepreneurship and development: critical questions, IZA Journal of Migration, 6:5, DOI 10.1186/s40176-016-0077-8, More information Ragab, Nora Jasmin, Laura Rahmeier & Melissa Siegel, Jan 2017, Mapping the Syrian diaspora in Germany - Contributions to peace, reconstruction and potentials for collaboration with German Development Cooperation, commissioned by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), More information Waidler, Jennifer, Michaella Vanore, Franziska Gassmann & Melissa Siegel, 2017, Migration and the Multi-Dimensional Well-Being of Elderly Persons in Georgia, Journal of Population Ageing, DOI: 10.1007/s12062-017-9176-4, More information Waidler, Jennifer, Michaella Vanore, Franziska Gassmann & Melissa Siegel, 2017, Does it matter where the children are? The wellbeing of elderly people 'left behind' by migrant children in Moldova, Ageing and Society, 37/3:607-632, More information |
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Photo Credits: H. Pijpers, S. Brodin, E. McGregor [13] ICMPD in Azerbaijan [14] K. Atienza [18] Flickr: Albertogp123 |
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