Nafplio, Greece

Forced displacement in theory and in practice

when 13 July 2018 - 18 July 2018
language English
duration 1 week
fee EUR 500

With one person displaced every 3 seconds, there are more displaced people in the world today (circa 65 million) than during WWII. Still, with armed conflicts becoming more protracted and environmental pressures mounting, the number of refugees is bound to increase. Despite the magnitude and the importance of this phenomenon, general perceptions and policy responses are often incorrect or inadequate. In the past ten years national governments and international organisations have implemented a wide range of new policies, laws or emergency practices, largely aimed at containing population movements, but have often failed to achieve their declared aims and led to long-term repercussions. Meanwhile, humanitarian and development agencies have sought innovative responses to address the scale and duration of displacement, but are still struggling to obtain the needed impact. While recent wars in the Middle East and Northern Africa pushed a dramatic wave of asylum seekers and migrants toward Europe in 2015-2016, 84% of the displaced remain in low to middle-income countries and 8 out of 10 refugees are living in neighbouring countries. With more than 40% of refugees displaced for more than 10 years and 20% for more than 30, supporting alternative livelihoods and ensuring access to services and legal protection has never been so compelling.
This course provides a primer on forced displacement. A multi-disciplinary team of instructors will discuss this complex phenomenon from the perspective of academic research, policy, and humanitarian response, both on the global scale and in smaller, more specific contexts. Students will develop a general understanding of the relevant legal framework, the causes and consequences of displacement (including political implications for Europe, liberal democracy, and international law), the design and impact of policies, the challenges of implementing humanitarian responses, and the daily lives of displaced people in camps, during their flight and in resettlement.

Course leader

Kristin Fabbe, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School.

Dimitris Keridis, Professor of International Relations, Panteion University.

Target group

Graduate students, young professionals and senior undergraduates.

Course aim

• to survey the above fields and disseminate new research advances;
• to create a forum for high quality academic work;
• to provide opportunities for the creation and consolidation of scholarly networks of cooperation.

Fee info

EUR 500: Tuition and board charges cover:
- shared accommodation in a double occupancy room with breakfast,
- electronic access to all the reading material,
- excursions, cultural, social and extra curricular activities, and
- transportation from “Athens International Airport” to Nafplio and back.
EUR 150: There is a 150€ non-refundable registration fee to be paid upon acceptance in order to secure a place in the Academy.

Scholarships

For qualified applicants who can only attend one short cycle (half the program of the Academy) some financial aid of 150€ is provided on a merit and need basis.
Scholarships of 500€ are available for participants following two cycles.