Institute for Migration Studies
Courses
The Department of Social Sciences offered a senior-level course on migration called: SOC488 Topics in Sociology: Migration–A Sociological and Anthropological Approach
The IMS is currently working to introduce a Masters program in Migration Studies. The program will seek to provide an inter-disciplinary approach to understanding contemporary and future migration in Lebanon, the Arab region and the rest of the world.
Conferences, Projects and Workshops
- IMS is organizing an international conference on Gender and Migration to be held in 2009.
- IMS is organizing a workshop on assessing current research in migration in Lebanon
- IMS is expecting to receive a substantial research funding leading to a number of research projects on the politics of Lebanese Diaspora, migrant Arab families and the practice of marriage and the gender and cultural identity of Ethiopian domestic workers
- IMS is planning to form a nationwide pool of scholars, social workers and community leaders working in the field migration
Brown Bag Talks
The brown bag talks that have been held in 2011 and given by Dr. Ghassan Hage, and Ph.D. candidate Ms. Debbie Trent. Respectively entitled "There are no friends here", and "Exploring Diaspora Diplomacy through the Case of the U.S. Public Diplomacy in Lebanon".
Upcoming Events
- A conference is going to be held in LAU from the 2nd to the 3rd of February on the Relationships between Diasporas and Their Homelands and Their Impact on the State, National Identities, and Peace & Conflict. With noted diaspora, migration and transnationalism specialists, Dr. Alan Gamlen, Oxford University, and Professor Thomas Faist, Bielefeld University, as Keynote Speakers.
http://www.lau.edu.lb/news-events/conferences/rdhis2012/index.php - Methodology workshop (Date to be announced soon).
Past Events
- http://lau.edu.lb/news-events/conferences/politics_lebanese_abroad/
This conference was held from May 24-26 in 2007, to examine politics and culture of Lebanese migrants and their descendants in different parts of the world. Scholars and researchers were invited to examine communal, national and transnational elements of these practices and to explore changing characteristics of politics and culture in respect to migration, Diaspora and globalization. - http://eventscal.lau.edu.lb/2011/03/30/launch-studies-migrant-domestic-workers.php
LAU’s Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World, Institute for Migration Studies and KAFA helped launch the following two studies on March 30, 2011: “Trafficking of Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon: A Legal Analysis” by Kathleen Hamill, and “An Exploratory Study of Psychoanalytic and Social Factors in the Abuse of Migrant Domestic Workers by Female Employers in Lebanon” by Dr. Ray Jureidini (LAU). - http://www.geo.uni-mainz.de/arabcommunities/
A conference has already been held in Germany, with the collaboration of the Institute for Migration Studies and the Johannes Gutenberg University from the 19th to the 22nd of May 2011 on the numerous publications which address Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian migration flows since 1870 in which numerous groups have settled in various countries around the world.
Please click here to download the conference poster. - Seminar on Emigrants’ Contribution to National Development
Held on the 2nd of November, 2011 at the Pyramid’s Hall in Corral Beach, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants sponsored the seminar in order to evaluate emigrants’ contribution to Lebanese national development. Dr. Adnan Mansour, Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the seminar that went from 11a.m. – 12:30p.m. and heard Dr. Paul Tabar’s presentation entitled, “Emigrants contribution to public activities and development in Lebanon” as well as Dr. Marwan Iskandar’s presentation entitled, “Success of Lebanese abroad and their role in internal development.” The lectures were followed by open discussions between the two speakers and the audience.