M I R E K O C

M i R e K o c

MiRe Koc

  M I G R A T I O N   R E S E A R C H   P R O G R A M

  A T   T H E   KO Ç   U N I V E R S I T Y              

MiReKoc CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT CRITICAL REFLECTIONS IN MIGRATION RESEARCH: VIEWS FROM THE SOUTH AND THE EAST Koç University, Istanbul October 7-9 2009 Agenda setting in research on international migration has been almost completely in the hands of scholars and researchers in the receiving countries of the “North” or the “West.” Although research on international migration in the countries of the “South” and the “East” has been characterized by a richness of descriptive material, it is also marked by a relative lack of theoretical contributions. In other words, there seems to be a hegemonic setting in which research areas and questions are defined and formulated in the “core countries,” and then presented and inserted to the agendas of the “peripheries.” Moreover, research concerns of the latter are less heard or their views are not voiced effectively, while the interests of the former are often high on the international research agenda. This phenomenon is worthy of discussion, particularly in the light of the recent intensification of development of migration research in various countries of the “South” and the “East.” At the same time, and again worthy of some debate, the migration research field in the “South” and the “East” lacks cross-country and comparative work, despite a growing global interest in migration issues. In this context, it is important to • • • • •

analyze, question, and reconsider the migration research experiences in various countries of the South and the East, compare and contrast these experiences with those in the countries of the North and the West, question the hegemonic position of research agendas of the North and the West over those of the South and the East, discuss new research directions in migration research in the South and the East, and open avenues to advocate research co-operation and to develop research infra-structures within and between the divisions of South/East and North/West.

The rationale behind this conference reflects the concerns raised above, considering the important migration and migration research experiences in selected countries of the South and the East, namely, Turkey, Morocco and Poland. The medium of the conference will be English and French, and simultaneous translation between these languages will be provided.

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