The theme of the symposium is “MOBILITY ACROSS BORDERS: BETWEEN TRADITION AND COERCION”.
Migration is a global phenomenon, arguably due to globalisation and other complexities. While some people move voluntarily, some of them are unfortunately forced to be displaced. Violent conflict, natural disasters and climate changes, to name a few, are some driving forces for the forced migration. However, those who perform both voluntary and forced migration share the same objective, to have a better life and escape poverty. In recent decades we have witnessed the influx of people across borders. From 153 million international migrants in 1990, the figure increased significantly to 258 million in 2017 (UNDESA, 2017). Given this massive number, despite its positive benefit, migration can also lead to negative consequences such as loss of life, family separation, illegal trafficking or smuggling.
Some possible topics for discussions are the followings but not limited to e.g. governance of migration, forced migration and regional security, humanitarianism of refugees, diaspora community and social network, hybridity and identity formation. They are covered in the following proposed themes: