Blog

COMPAS Round Up Autumn 2017

Published 27 October 2017 / By COMPAS communications team

Back to Articles

Engagement

Seminar series

Refugees and the Economy

Our Michaelmas term seminar series brings together experts on the socio-economic integration of refugees to explore the economic and social outcomes of refugees and their impact on hosting economies. The speakers include practitioners and academics who have worked extensively on issues relating to refugees in both developed and developing countries.

The seminar series is part of the project The Economic Integration of Refugees in the UK funded by The Nuffield Foundation.

Networks

Migration and Mobility Network

COMPAS has joined a new Oxford network set up under the TORCH New Network Scheme. The network aims to reach across and beyond the existing migration research centres based at Oxford University, to bring researchers together to develop migration and mobility research agendas at Oxford, to foster synergies for future collaborative cross- and interdisciplinary projects, and thereby generate a deeper understanding of mobility. Contact Lena Rose for more information: migration-mobility@torch.ox.ac.uk.

Turkish Migration Studies Network (TurkMiS)

In May, Franck Düvell organised the 13th TurkMiS workshop, held in cooperation with South East European Studies (SEESOX) at the European Studies Centre in Oxford. The workshop was devoted to ‘Syrian Refugees in Turkey: Reception, Economy and Governance’. Another workshop is being planned for later this year - if you would be interested in presenting your research please contact Franck: franck.duvell@compas.ox.ac.uk.

Other activities

Photo Competition

Final call for the Photo Competition. For this year’s competition theme, Mobility in an Unstable World, we are looking for photos and illustrations exploring migration in a world where societies and governments are facing dramatic shifts and challenges. Submissions due on Friday 27 October - now extended until Tuesday 31 October 2017.

Awards

The Global Exchange on Migration team received a Community Integration Award in the Research Champion category, for their Online Tool to Improve the Assessment of Destitute Families’ Eligibility for Support, developed in partnership with the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) network.

Media coverage of migration over the decades ©Ian Wallman

Curiosity Carnival

COMPAS participated in the Curiosity Carnival - the first celebration of European Researchers Night at Oxford University - on 29 September. Will Allen and ActREAL (led by former staff member Ida Berglöw Kenneway) developed and ran ‘Is Perceiving Believing?’, a series of interactive activities on media coverage of migration.

Teaching

Autumn Academy: Third successful Autumn Academy in September on Strategic Approaches to Migrants with Irregular Status in Europe, symposium for senior public officials, NGOs, academics and foundation staff.

MSc in Migration Studies:  Welcome to our seventh cohort of students on the MSc programme in Migration Studies. Professor Biao Xiang has returned from sabbatical and will be managing this year’s cohort of 23 students.

Research

New projects

PEAK Urban

From October 2017, Director Michael Keith will be leading PEAK Urban, a 4-year, international, multidisciplinary programme funded by RCUK’s Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) involving Oxford researchers at Anthropology (COMPAS), the Mathematical Institute, Geography (Transport Studies Unit) and Medicine (George Institute), along with universities in China (Peking University), South Africa (University of Cape Town), India (Indian Institute for Human Settlements) and Colombia (EAFIT University). The programme aims to grow a new generation of interdisciplinary urbanists and a network of smarter cities working together across Africa, China, India, Colombia and the UK.

Research updates

Does Immigration Enforcement matter (DIEM)? 

Project PI Franck Düvell and Myriam Cherti are conducting a one-day conference on 27 October in London to present findings from the DIEM project exploring irregular migration and control policies in the UK. Speakers include experts from the Council of Europe, PICUM and academics from other European countries. The conference will discuss immigration enforcement in the UK in the context of austerity and the so-called 'hostile environment approach': what impact this has had on irregular migration; the responses of irregular immigrants; how this shapes their fundamental rights situations; and what it means for small and in particular ethnic businesses. The project team is also holding a series of workshops for enforcement agencies, public services and the voluntary sector (by invitation only, Chatham house rules).