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This past week, members of the steering committee accepted research awards from �Ӱ�ԭ�� University on behalf of the exceptional work of the MDS community in building connections across the university that have had a sustained impact both over time and across research programs.

As the world’s attention has been drawn to the Syrian refugee crisis, members of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Migration and Diaspora Studies Steering Committee have been working with international colleagues to respond to the practical needs of refugee communities, and create spaces at �Ӱ�ԭ�� that encourage critical discussions about the historical dimensions of the refugee crisis as well as stimulate forward looking accounts about the social, cultural, political and economic implications of the movement of people.

Most recently, the group hosted an international workshop for researchers and leaders in the migration and diaspora community entitled “Power and Influence in the Global Refugee Regime”. The workshop brought together a prominent group of scholars, practitioners and policy-makers to discuss strategies to improve the current refugee regime.

“One of the inspirations for this group was to combine research and advocacy on migration and diaspora issues,” says Jeff Sahadeo, the Associate Director of the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (EURUS) and a member of the steering committee. “�Ӱ�ԭ�� is an ideal location for this collaboration because we have so many people working on this—both on campus and in the national capital.”

While the focus of the MDS initiative has been to build linkages across disciplines, the research interests of individual members of the Steering Committee range from the cultural consequences of globalization and the treatment of issues of personal and collective identity in relation to immigration, multiculturalism (or interculturalism), exile and integration in literature to global refugee policy, the role of international organizations in the management of migration and issues relating to citizenship, and integration in Canada and internationally.

The group also maintains an active international listserv, which allows members to swap information on refugee sponsorships, country-by-country resources, and the latest news and research on the crisis.

“We are fortunate to have people who are dealing with this issue from all over the world, approaching it from all different angles,” says Professor Sahadeo, a political scientist who’s collaborated with both poets and economists. “This gives us a chance to learn and enrich each other. We have much more in common than we would think.”

The MDS steering committee looks forward to continued collaborations with the �Ӱ�ԭ�� community, and supporting the interdisciplinary research of faculty and graduates students, in order to position our university as an international leader in the burgeoning research field of Migration and Diaspora Studies. Some upcoming opportunities for collaboration and support include:

The MDS Graduate Student Colloquium in Migration and Diaspora Studies will be held on Friday November 27, 2015.

Description: Awarded annually by the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs to a full-time graduate student who is pursuing courses in Migration and Diaspora Studies. Recipients may be residents of any province or territory in Canada and must qualify as entitled to the Canadian Resident Tuition Fee Structure.

Value: $20,000 (scholarship)

Deadline for applications to be submitted to Dawn Schmidt: October 19

MDS welcomes applications that support events and activities such as conferences, seminars, talks, short films, and artistic installations that will:

• Facilitate discussion and dialogue amongst members of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s MDS community.

• Provide intellectual benefits to the interdisciplinary and diverse MDS community.

• Raise the profile of the Migration & Diaspora studies initiative at �Ӱ�ԭ��, and with national and international communities of scholars and outside partners.

We welcome applications from any discipline, and especially encourage applications for interdisciplinary activities, but please note that these funds are not intended for individual research projects.

Deadline for requests to be submitted to Dawn Schmidt: November 19 (although early applications are accepted and encouraged).

Testimonials for the MDS Initiative

“The opportunities presented by the work of the MDS Steering Committee have and continue to position �Ӱ�ԭ�� University as a national and global leader in the field of Migration and Diaspora Studies. Their collaborative, cross-Faculty, style of work has contributed significantly and strategically to �Ӱ�ԭ��’s further growth and development as a comprehensive university. Because of their dedication to bringing together teams of researchers, regardless of background or academic discipline, the MDS team has achieved continued success in attracting research funding, building capacity and collaborations, and producing cutting-edge research.”

– André Plourde, Dean, Faculty of Public Affairs (nominator)

“The MDS Initiative has turned �Ӱ�ԭ�� into a nationally and internationally recognized leader in research and teaching on human mobility and migration, examining its social, cultural, political, and economic implications from an interdisciplinary perspective. In the past two years alone, MDS has enabled a number of research events relevant to the mandate of EURUS (and) was also instrumental in adding a third faculty member with expertise in migration to EURUS.”

– Achim Hurrelmann, Director, Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies

“I highly recommend the MDS team for the Building Connections Research Prize. Their recent, dynamic, sustained and solid efforts at creating and nurturing relationships between scholars on campus, and between scholars and the community, have served my department, my research and the communities involved very well.”

– Dominique Marshall, Professor and Chair, Department of History

“I have very much appreciated the way in which the MDS works together collectively and harmoniously across traditional academic boundaries. The group has excelled in developing a strong collaboration and has made great strides in a very short period of time. They bring together scholars from a wide range of disciplinary and methodological backgrounds … I think they also help promote �Ӱ�ԭ��’s reputation as an inclusive and progressive institution that is open to diversity and that helps promote public policies in benefit of marginalized communities.”

– Laura Macdonald, Professor and Director, Institute of Political Economy