Launch of the Erasmus Migration & Diversity Institute (EMDI)

05 March 2017

Scholars from various departments of Erasmus University Rotterdam have decided to work together in order to address such cross-disciplinary questions raised by migration and diversity. They launch the Erasmus Migration and Diversity Institute (EMDI), which has as the main objective to deepen cross-disciplinary collaboration in research on migration and diversity and to position EUR in the rapidly developing international field of migration research.

The institute will be supported by the Erasmus Initiative (EI) and will also host the network office of IMISCOE, Europe’s largest network of academic research institutes on migration.

The central ambition of EMDI is to develop a better theoretical understanding of how mobility and diversity are changing contemporary societies and to contribute to the development of professional interventions particularly in urban settings. The establishment of EMDI provides a unique possibility to develop cross-disciplinary research, to respond to the new opportunities offered in the national and international funding environment regarding migration and to jointly develop research-related activities in the fields of education and competency building.

Although EUR hosts a large number of migration researchers, their work on migration and diversity has thus far remained highly fragmented over various disciplines and departments. The goal of EMDI is to promote academic excellence of EUR scholars in the field of migration and diversity, by bringing scholars from various disciplines together, promoting synergies and enhancing the visibility of migration and diversity research in the international academic environment. With the concentration of top scholars in the field of migration and ethnic studies working across different disciplines in Rotterdam at the moment we have the unique possibility to build one of the leading migration institutes in Europe. This will contribute to the international positioning of Erasmus University Rotterdam as a leading university in research on migration and diversity, as well as connect EUR with the growing demand for knowledge and expertise on these topics and benefit to the diverse student population of EUR. Key research topics for EMDI will be:

  • Migration & Social Cohesion
  • Migration, diversity and healthy development
  • Governance and management of migration and diversity
  • Culture & Identity

EMDI will function as an open network, in which in principle any EUR scholar interested in migration and diversity can participate. To this aim, EMDI will host a series of meetings where scholars from various departments come together to present new research ideas as well as develop new research together. Twice per year EMDI will also invite international guest speakers, starting with a first reach-out event at March 10th. Also, the launch of EMDI will be celebrated during the upcoming IMISCOE Conference at Campus Woudestein, 28-30 June this year. Furthermore, EMDI aims to deepen collaboration between EUR faculties in terms of education. This includes the LDE Master Governance of Migration & Diversity, a minor programme on Migration & Diversity as well as collaboration in the context of regular courses. 

EMDI was developed by scholars from various departments, including:

  • Faculty of Social Sciences (FSW)
  • Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC)
  • International Institute of Social Studies (ISS)
  • Erasmus MC (EMC)
  • Erasmus School of Law (ESL)

The coordination of the institute will be in the hands of a group of scholars from these faculties, including Prof.dr Kristin Henrard (ESL), Prof.dr. Susanne Janssen (ESHCC), Prof.dr. Des Gasper (ISS) and Dr. Peter Scholten (FSW).

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