International Conference “New Trends and Directions of Migration”

The International Conference on Migration tagged “New Trends and Directions of Migration” was held in National Research University- Higher School of Economics from 26th to 27th October, 2017 to look at some of the issues that borders on current migration and challenges.

Being that migration is one of the most important global phenomena of the modern world, that cuts across all spheres of life- economic, political, social, and cultural processes- thereby giving rise to new phenomena and practices. The conference was able to look at pertinent questions bordering on current migration trends such as: What issues should scholars focus on today in order to understand migration on the local, national, or even continental scale? What methods need to be employed in such studies? How is migration to be understood in academic research, and what questions must be answered today? 

The key note speakers were Heaven Crawley, Professor of International Migra¬tion, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations Coventry University and Anatoly G. Vishnevsky, Professor of Demographic Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics. They both shed more light on the Migration Crisis in Europe and how to handle Refugees situation in different countries

The conference took an interdiscipli¬nary approach, and brought together experts from different fields, including economics, sociology, political science, anthropology, and cultural studies. There were about 64 participants, who gave presentation ranging from migrants’ integration, refugees, child trafficking, labour migration and lots more.

The conference also included a roundtable ‘Adaptation of Migrants’ Children’, were schol¬ars and civil society activists were able to discuss problems of access to education for the children of migrants and issues of their adaptation in schools.

So many issues were pointed out as factors affecting proper integration process of migrants children in Russian schools. The conference was rounded up with  a buffet where scholar dined and wined after a successful conference, and also there was interaction among the participants and audiences of the conference.

With a background knowledge on Migration from the Migration and Development Course offered by the Masters Population and Development Program, we were able to appreciate more the issues that were discussed. We are grateful to have been a participant in the conference, because it has opened my mind more on the global trends, challenges and possible solutions to tackling current migration issues. 

More than 10 students from Master programme visited the conferences and some of them could participate into discussion within and after the seccions

https://isp.hse.ru/international_conference 

Authors
Umesi, Love Ugonna and Oni, Isaac Olumayowa

Masters Population and Development