Science and Development Forum
Forced Migration: Research and Policy, 23 September 2016, ETH Zurich
Forced migration: Research and Policy
23 September 2016, Auditorium Maximum, ETH Zurich
In 2015, more than 60 million people have been displaced by violent conflicts—this is the highest rate since World War II. In many cases, displaced persons are forced to stay in camps for decades, prohibiting them from returning home and resuming a normal life. Living under uncertain legal conditions and often denied basic rights in their host countries, they are usually not allowed to work, to move freely, and typically lack adequate political participation.
Migration represents both an opportunity and a challenge. While well-managed migration may foster progress and welfare in origin as well as destination countries, its mismanagement may put social cohesion and security at risk. Successful and efficient policy-making on migration must be based on empirical findings and scientific debate. However, despite the extensive debate surrounding the topic in the media, research on the impact of the existing policies on immigrants or the communities in which they reside is often lacking.
The Science and Development Forum Forced Migration: Research and Policy brings together scholars from different disciplines to discuss current academic research on the topic, from the ethics of migration to evidence-based policy research and managerial improvements in refugee camps. In a second part, representatives from different international and governmental policy organisations and NGOs will challenge the scientific presentations based on their experiences in the field. The regional focus of the conference is on the Syrian crisis and the refugee movements to Turkey and Europe.
Forced migration and policy
9:00 Welcome coffee
9:15 Welcome and Opening
Prof. Sarah Springman, Rector of the ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Download Prof. Isabel Günther, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
9:30 Download Innovative Refugee Advocacy
Prof. Christine Mahoney, University of Virginia, USA
10:15 Download What Logistics research reveals about the Costs of Humanitarian Aid
Sarbani Bublu Thakur-Weigold, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
10:45 Coffee break
11:15 Download Why do we have obligations to migrants and refugees?
Prof. Andreas Niederberger, Professor of Philosophy, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany
11.45 Download The Direction of Refugee Flows, Using New Ethnicity Data to Understand Flight Patterns
Dr. Seraina Rüegger, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
12:15 Lunch
Focus on Middle East
13:30 Turkey and the refugee situation
Dr. Dogus Simsek, Koç Universität, Turkey
(presentation is not available due to unpublished data)
14:15 Large-scale data collection to track refugee integration
Prof. Dominik Hangartner, University of Zurich and London School of Economics, UK
(presentation is not available but references were made to the following two papers)
1. When lives are put on hold: Lengthy asylum processes decrease employment among refugeesexternal page http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/8/e1600432
2. How economic, humanitarian, and religious concerns shape European attitudes toward asylum seekersexternal page http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/early/2016/09/22/science.aag2147.full.pdf
14:45 Coffee Break
15:15 Panel discussion: Policy Perspectives
Facilitation: Dr. Johan Rochel, Ethique en action
Panelists:
- Metin Çorabatır, President of Research Center on Asylum and Migration (ARCAM) in Ankara, Turkey, Journalist and former UNHCR spokesperson for Turkey
- Manuel Bessler, Ambassador and Head of Swiss Humanitarian Aid, Switzerland
- Paul Rüegg, Head of Humanitarian Aid Department, Caritas, Switzerland
- Omar Kassab, Co-Founder “Syrian Refugee Crisis”, Switzerland
16:30: Download Wrap-up and Closing
Dr. Barbara Becker, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
16:45: Reception