Achieving food security is critical for the social and economic well-being of any society, especially for migrants.When looking at migrant mobility, this can be driven by many factors. In Southern Africa, those crossing borders do so for a myriad of reasons including conflict, persecution or for the prospect of economic stability.
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has always been at the forefront of conversations that seek solutions to the socio-economic realities of South Africa and the broader African continent. The International Symposium on Migration and Mobilities provided an opportunity for academics, stakeholders and non-governmental organisations to convene and discuss the critical issues of food security and migrant mobilities.
UWC hosted the International Symposium on Migration and Mobilities
A notable highlight of the event was the collaborative research, which was hosted by the Migration and Mobilities Interdisciplinary Collective in Africa (MMICA) at UWC.
Professor Vivienne Lawack is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic at UWC, and MMICA Project Sponsor. She said: “We wanted to ensure that this symposium brings together national and international scholars as well as international and governmental policymakers to showcase what we have at UWC, which is our scholarship engagement for societal impact.”
Prof Lawack added: “Therefore, we include issues such as the social inclusion of vulnerable refugees, the food security of migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic, everyday mobilities in cities, and innovation in research.”
Master’s and PhD Programme in Migration Studies
In 2018 UWC, through the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic, conducted a continental-wide needs assessment, and developed a new Master’s and PhD Programme in Migration Studies. This programme aims to prepare students to respond to some of the well-known migration-related societal challenges.
The proposed new programme is interdisciplinary in nature and cuts across all faculties. The Master’s and PhD Programmes in Migration Studies will offer students the education and skills necessary to provide solutions to many of the major migration challenges faced by society in an era of increasing globalisation.
They will cover issues related to the political, legal, economic, and social aspects in both developed and developing countries. Also, they promise to address the deficiencies in skills and knowledge of migration-related issues, particularly in Africa.
The three-day symposium was held in partnership with the Migration and Food Security in the Global South: Interactions, Impacts and Remedies (MiFood Network), a global group of researchers from 13 countries. The event was attended by delegates from 19 countries across North and Central America, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
The delegates who took part in the International Symposium on Migration and Mobilities
Highlights included panel discussions on Migrants, Food Security and COVID-19 in South Africa and Urban Sanctuary, Migrant Solidarity and Hospitality in African Cities: Research meets practice. The symposium concluded with an event that looked at the critical and transformative engaged scholarship on migration and mobilities.
Symposium funding partners included:
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has always been at the forefront of conversations that seek solutions to the socio-economic realities of South Africa and the broader African continent. The International Symposium on Migration and Mobilities provided an opportunity for academics, stakeholders and non-governmental organisations to convene and discuss the critical issues of food security and migrant mobilities.
UWC hosted the International Symposium on Migration and MobilitiesA notable highlight of the event was the collaborative research, which was hosted by the Migration and Mobilities Interdisciplinary Collective in Africa (MMICA) at UWC.
Professor Vivienne Lawack is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic at UWC, and MMICA Project Sponsor. She said: “We wanted to ensure that this symposium brings together national and international scholars as well as international and governmental policymakers to showcase what we have at UWC, which is our scholarship engagement for societal impact.”
Prof Lawack added: “Therefore, we include issues such as the social inclusion of vulnerable refugees, the food security of migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic, everyday mobilities in cities, and innovation in research.”
Master’s and PhD Programme in Migration Studies
In 2018 UWC, through the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic, conducted a continental-wide needs assessment, and developed a new Master’s and PhD Programme in Migration Studies. This programme aims to prepare students to respond to some of the well-known migration-related societal challenges.
The proposed new programme is interdisciplinary in nature and cuts across all faculties. The Master’s and PhD Programmes in Migration Studies will offer students the education and skills necessary to provide solutions to many of the major migration challenges faced by society in an era of increasing globalisation.
They will cover issues related to the political, legal, economic, and social aspects in both developed and developing countries. Also, they promise to address the deficiencies in skills and knowledge of migration-related issues, particularly in Africa.
The three-day symposium was held in partnership with the Migration and Food Security in the Global South: Interactions, Impacts and Remedies (MiFood Network), a global group of researchers from 13 countries. The event was attended by delegates from 19 countries across North and Central America, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
The delegates who took part in the International Symposium on Migration and MobilitiesHighlights included panel discussions on Migrants, Food Security and COVID-19 in South Africa and Urban Sanctuary, Migrant Solidarity and Hospitality in African Cities: Research meets practice. The symposium concluded with an event that looked at the critical and transformative engaged scholarship on migration and mobilities.
Symposium funding partners included:
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- New Frontiers in Research Fund
- The African Union
- The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- The Balsillie School of International Affairs
- The Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)
