The main objective of the IS Academy is to strengthen the quality of policies in the area of development cooperation through the interaction between policy makers and academia. The programme aims at stimulating new approaches to development cooperation using the available knowledge on sustainable development and poverty reduction and creating new evidence on effective policies. Making use of the different expertise of academics and professionals enriches the insights on both sides. Evidence-informed policies are inspired by academic research, and vice versa, the knowledge of professionals provides an important input for academic research, strengthening thereby its relevance.
Within the IS Academy partnership on Migration and Development (M&D) a number of specific objectives have been agreed upon, which are based on the overall objectives of the IS Academy:
- To strengthen the scientific foundation for M&D policy making;
- To strengthen the policy relevance of research in the area of M&D;
- To continue and strengthen the leadership role of the Netherlands in the area of M&D;
- To increase the knowledge about M&D among the Dutch society, policy makers in other sectors, as well as policy makers in developing countries;
- To raise interest among young researchers for M&D research; and
- To broaden the perspective of civil servants and stimulate an outward looking orientation.
