Refugee Studies at UEL | News | Resources | Themes of the Programme | Programme Structure & Content | Curriculum | Staff | Student Testimonies | Additional Information | Programme specification | Postgraduate seminar series | Refugee Research Centre | Forced Migration Student Conference 2009 | ESRC Social Research Stream | MA Refugees, Representation and Performance | MA Refugee Studies and Community Development | MA Migration and Citizenship
The MA Refugee Studies programme at UEL examines forced migration, exile and the refugee experience. It is multi-disciplinary, using insights from social, cultural and legal theory, politics and international relations. It encourages students to focus upon the experiences, needs and achievements of refugee communities.
A distinguishing feature of the programme is its emphasis upon the lived experience of refugees and of refugee communities. By drawing upon staff and students’ personal contacts with such communities it aims to develop a fuller appreciation of refugee experiences, achievements and needs.
The programme will interest those who wish to undertake further research in the fields of migration and diasporic studies; ethnicity; social, psycho-social and cultural theory; legal studies; and social policy. It will also interest those professionally concerned with human rights; legal representation of refugees; counselling; education; social and community issues; and refugee welfare. It will assist those who wish to enter employment in these fields.
The Refugee Studies programme team has wide experience of refugee matters at the academic level and in the fields of legal practice, human rights activity, welfare and community life. It maintains close relations with refugee communities in East London and with leading voluntary organisations in the fields of human rights, advice and counselling, and refugee advocacy.
This collaborative programme, now in its ninth year, draws on staff in the School of Law and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The programme is located within the Field of Anthropology, Politics and International Development.
The School of Law and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences each have large undergraduate programmes and expanding PhD research programmes. Both run graduate seminars which students on the MA Refugee Studies programme are invited to attend. Refugee Studies organises regular public seminars on key legal, social, political and cultural issues within the field of forced migration, and is active in associated research and consultancy.
The programme is pleased to announce a number of partnerships with national refugee organisations. Students are invited to undertake internship programmes with the Refugee Council, Independent Asylum Commission, The London Detainee Support Group, Tthe Council for Assisting Refugee Academics, and the International Rescue Committee- UK.
These partnerships provide an excellent opportunity for students to acquire hands-on work experience in their field of study, giving them insights and opportunities into employment pathways.
The refugee phenomenon has become an issue of world importance. Forced migration is affecting vast numbers of people who find themselves victims of exclusion - and who are often denied a place of asylum. This programme investigates the causes of forced migration, the ethical and legal issues involved, the impact upon individuals and refugee communities, and the implications for the wider society.
The programme offers a comprehensive introduction to forced migration, together with the option to focus upon areas including human rights, refugee law, citizenship and settlement, gender matters, psychological and psycho-social issues, community and welfare concerns, and theories of ethnicity, diaspora and exile
Refugee Studies attracts students of diverse origins and experiences, including refugees and others from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South-East Asia, the Americas, Western and Eastern Europe. It brings together academics and those who work professionally in the refugee field, including teachers, counsellors, welfare workers, legal advisers and community workers. Such diversity encourages productive exchange of ideas and enhances the learning environment.
Among sponsors of students on the programme are leading human rights organisations, refugee support bodies, overseas development organisations, academic study centres, law firms, local authorities, colleges and schools, race equality and equal opportunities committees, charities and aid groups, and refugee community organisations.
It is now possible to follow a social research specialism within the MA. This specialism involves:
For details, please apply to John Nassari or Giorgia Dona
© 2009
Click here to download Refugee Studies Brochure in PDF format [776K]
MA Refugee Studies *ESRC recognised* social research stream
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, September 2009
MA Refugees, Representation and Performance
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