International Migration as a Global Challenge

Migration has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon. This is not only due to the number of people moving across the world—284 million international migrants, which is about 3% of the global population—but also because of its widespread nature. Every region and country across the globe is impacted by migration, with each country playing a role in emigration, immigration, or serving as a transit point.

This course provides a comprehensive understanding of migration processes and the roles played by various social actors in shaping human mobility. By examining migration and mobility within the broader context of global phenomena such as development and societal change, it explores the significant challenges immigration poses for state sovereignty, origin societies, and migrants themselves. The course also compares different approaches to regulating international migration and discusses key issues in the multi-level governance of international migration.

The course is articulated into seven seminars, on specific issues of migration studies. After the first introductory seminar, seminar presentations by students, either on their own research (insofar as it touches upon migration issues) or on specific readings or ad hoc research, will be organised and will constitute the foundation for the assessment. As with all doctoral training, active participation, starting from the essential readings, is essential to be successful in this course. Participation in the seminars is compulsory.