Background
The proposed EUMIGRO project is in line with the concept of Jean Monnet Module of the Erasmus+ Programme, as it is planned as a 3-year coherent short teaching programme in the field of EU studies at a higher education institution – Warsaw School of Economics in Poland, conducted by dr M. Pachocka, a young full-time academic staff member, assistant professor, having obtained her PhD degree less than 5 years ago. The scope of the project covers the situation in the EU and its member states concerning the issues connected with contemporary international migration and asylum, as well as related policies at the EU and country levels. In recent years the interest in migrations, their trends, patterns, determinants, multidimensional causes and consequences has been on the rise, especially in connection with the migration and refugee crises in the Mediterranean region. Both the causes and the consequences of the current crisis situation in Europe are multidimensional – social, economic, political, cultural and institutional. Therefore it is crucial to encourage research and teaching activities in this area, so that informed debate can follow to educate European citizens in place of popular media coverage and political agendas. The subject of migration and asylum is an important part of EU studies and the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches are crucial to obtain the broad and complex picture in the intricate regional and global reality..
Objectives
The main objective of the EUMIGRO project is to promote research and provide comprehensive, innovative and multidimensional courses on the increasingly important issues of migration and asylum at the WSE and to give students the knowledge and skills, which will encourage them to get involved in the shaping of EU policies, promoting a deeper understanding of these complex issues.
In relation to the general objectives of Jean Monnet Activities the aims are to:
1. equip students and young professionals with knowledge of European Union subjects relevant for their academic and professional lives and enhance their civic skills,
2. mainstream and diversify EU-related subjects throughout the curricula proposed by higher education institutions to their students.
In relation to the objectives of Jean Monnet Module the aims are to:
1. promote research and first teaching experience for young researchers and scholars in EU issues,
2. foster the publication and dissemination of the results of academic research,
3. deliver tailor-made courses on specific EU issues relevant for graduates in their professional life.
Activities
1. Teaching activities constituting a core element of the project include creation and addition of two new courses (in Polish and English) to the WSE curriculum covering migration and asylum issues and related policies in the EU context:
a. Europe and international migration: an interdisciplinary perspective
b. Immigration situation and immigration policy in the EU member states
2. Scientific and research activities carried out during the whole project in alignment with other activities in order to ensure their up-to-date scientific accuracy and relevance.
3. Events, which simultaneously combine scientific, educational and promotional functions, will encompass:
a. 3 open cross-sector roundtable debates - conferences (once a year) concerning migration in the EU,
b. 12 workshops dedicated to degree seminars’ participants at the WSE.
4. Preparation and maintenance of the deliverables, including:
a. didactic materials for the two new courses,
b. the personal project website,
c. at least three academic publications integrating the results of research.