Delegates gather to discuss refugee issues

Internationally renowned academics from across the globe met at USQ this month to discuss a variety of issues, ranging from refugee integration to migrant identity concerns.

Renowned American scholar and political scientist Niklaus Steiner PhD (Director of the Centre for Global Initiatives), a leading academic in the field of citizenship identity, was the keynote speaker at the Migrant Security: Citizenship and Social Inclusion in a Transnational Era Symposium, held on July 15-16.

Dr Steiner said more than 200 million people are on the move worldwide and as such migration was inevitable.

He suggested that more honest and open dialogue between the academic community and politicians was needed to address the issues of illegal immigration and refugees.

'There is an unfortunate disconnect between academic discussions and politics- there needs to be more cross fertilisation between research and political discussion,' Dr Steiner said.

He also said migration and the associated issues stem from much deeper more complicated global forces that are yet to be fully understood or comprehended.

Organiser and USQ academic Dr Robert Mason, said directors from eight key research centres in refugee development and policy issues attended the symposium, including professors from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Flinders University, La Trobe University, RMIT University and Deakin University.

'We had delegates attending from Go8 universities including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Queensland, and UNSW, as well as from international bases like Auckland Universities and a number of American universities,' Dr Mason said.

Hosted by USQ’s Public Memory Research Centre, the symposium is part of a research stream within the Centre that is dedicated to investigating social inclusion in regional Australian communities.

'The Centre integrates academic research with local connections in order to drive outcomes that are of applied benefit to local communities,' Dr Mason said.

'The research stream is a new area of focus for the Centre, which is conducting a series of ongoing meetings with non-government organisations and local communities eager to develop greater relations with USQ.

'The symposium presented a significant opportunity for USQ staff to develop research collaborations, and to formalise what is a shared area of research for many colleagues.'

More information is available on the USQ website: www.usq.edu.au/migrantsecurity