The provisional programme for this three-day international conference features 55 presentations by migration scholars from around the world.
In celebrating the 10th anniversary of IMI, this conference will both review the progress made in reaching the aim of developing a long-term and forward-looking perspective on international migration as an intrinsic part of global change, and explore new conceptual horizons for understanding migration processes and their impacts for origin and destination societies.
Keynote speakers and panellists
Dr Oliver Bakewell, Director, IMI and Associate Professor, Department of International Development, University of Oxford
Prof. Stephen Castles, Research Chair in Sociology, University of Sydney
Prof. Robin Cohen, Emeritus Professor of Development Studies, University of Oxford and former Director of IMI
Prof. Hein de Haas, Professor of Sociology, University of Amsterdam, and former co-director of IMI
Dr Filiz Garip, Associate Professor of Sociology, Harvard University
Prof. Tim Hatton, Department of Economics, University of Essex
Dr Leander Kandilige, Visiting Lecturer at University of Northampton, Lecturer at University of Ghana and Research Associate, University of Oxford
Prof. Uma Kothari, Professor of Migration and Postcolonial Studies, University of Manchester
Prof. Loren Landau, South African Research Chair for Mobility and the Politics of Difference, African Centre for Migration & Society, University of the Witwatersrand
Prof.Takyiwaa Manuh, Director, Social Development Policy Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Dr Çağlar Özden, Senior economist in the Development Research Group's Trade and Integration team, World Bank
Conference themes
The aim of this interdisciplinary conference is to advance theoretical understanding of the nature, drivers and impacts of migration processes:
1. Drivers and Dynamics. How do processes of social transformation and development shape human mobility? In what ways are interrelated processes of internal and international migration are driven by wider social, economic, technological and political transformations in origin and destination countries? What is the role of origin and destination states in shaping migration processes? To what extent do these insights challenge sedentary assumptions of policy?
2. Development, inequality and change. What are the implications of migration for development and social transformation in destination and origin societies? In particular, how does migration affect social, cultural and economic change as well as patterns of inequality? Why does migration seem to have more positive development outcomes in some settings, and more negative outcomes in others?
3. Diaspora, transnationalism and identity. How is globalisation affecting migrants’ ability and ways of sustaining long-distance and potentially inter-generational links with origin societies? How are transnational communities and diasporas formed? How do they impact on people’s identities? To what extent do they challenge conventional models of immigrant integration and the nation state?
Download the conference programme
Register to attend the conference
Registration deadline 14 December 2015