A Global View on Migration

Understand migration-related topics and get the opportunity to contribute to a shared community.

Millions of people around the world are forcibly displaced. But what are the forces and stories behind these numbers? In this minor, students will not only read about and understand these migration-related topics, but students will also get the opportunity to take their responsibility to contribute to a shared community by being a buddy to a young refugee.
By following seminars and lectures, students will 1) learn to put current migration in a global perspective, 2) learn about core theories and debates in the field of migration studies, and separate facts from fictions by studying empirical research. Moreover, by participating in a buddy system and initiating activities with the community, students will enhance core competencies such as empathy, listening, commitment, and taking responsibility. Ultimately, this minor will enhance students’ understanding of societal problems and broaden their view, which will in turn benefit society in creating more understanding.

Learning about migration movements in all continents permits putting public discourse into perspective and taking migration studies seriously as a scholarly activity. Such macro views and figures will be combined with the micro accounts of real people, as well as with the framing of migration discourse, allowing for a multi-level focus on migration studies. To do so, this minor will combine different educational formats to achieve the learning goals that are set out for this course:

• To learn about core theories and debates in the field of migration studies, students will attend lectures provided by different content experts from different faculties and universities.
• To learn how to put current migration in a global perspective and separate facts from fictions, students will design and execute their own seminar.
• To enhance core skills required to be an effective buddy students will follow workshops by trainers from the ‘Stichting Werkshop’.
• To enhance student’s view of the world.
• To learn how to effectively serve as a buddy for a young refugee.

• Explain theoretical concepts related to migration and forced migration (e.g., acculturation and enculturation, integration paradox, migration streams);
• Contextualize migration situations in various parts of the world historically, socially, and politically.
• Explain, discuss, and critically assess theories of migration;
• Address and understand the historical, legal, political, sociological, and criminological aspects of international migration;
• Generate, and elaborate an interdisciplinary, in-depth understanding of a specific aspect of migration
• Understand and critically reflect on the experiences of young refugees who are impacted by extreme life experiences (e.g., war);
• Collaborate to structure (and organise) a seminar around the migration situation of a specific part of the world;
• Create personal learning goals during the course and reflect on the achievement of these learning goals;
• Reflect on their growth in skills (e.g., empathy, listening, commitment, motivation and taking responsibility) and how this has an effect on their relationship with young people who are impacted by extreme life experiences;
• Reflect on their own experience with working with refugees and how this has shaped their understanding of those who are impacted by extreme life experiences.

The course will last for a total of 10 weeks, in which students will complete 80+ hours of volunteering work in the community.
The assignments synthesize classroom - and community-based learning. This engaged learning project offers students the opportunity to engage directly with and reflect on issues in the migration community. The variety of weekly (learning) activities serve to cater to the different types of learning objectives that have been set.

Every week will consist of the following activities:

• Preparation for the seminars;
• A seminar consisting of a combination of lectures and interactive workshops;
• A student-led seminar;
• A buddy meeting;
• An informal activity to enhance a sense of community between students and their buddies.

Method
This course will utilize a combination of traditional lectures, workshops, buddy meetings in the city, feedback sessions, and field trips.

Examination
The assessment of this minor will consist of a combination of summative assessments (i.e., an individual paper and a personal reflection report) and performances (i.e., a student-led seminar) and formative assessments (i.e., weekly reflections on students’ experiences as a buddy).
The assessment of this minor will consist of the following parts:

• A student-led seminar that is done in teams (40%)
• An individual paper about a specific issue with regards to migration (25%)
• A personal reflection on students’ experiences as a buddy (25%)
• Professional behaviour (10%).

• Due to the nature of the minor, 100% mandatory attendance is required.
• Due to the nature of the minor, some activities might occur after 18:00.