Over 120 million people have been displaced from their homes by war and persecution, creating a protracted humanitarian disaster. This course provides an interdisciplinary introduction to this subject by exploring such questions as: What disciplines and methodologies will help us understand this global challenge? Who should bear responsibility for the welfare of refugees? What is our ethical responsibility to those who are displaced, and how do we write, research, and study others ethically? Do we believe in a basic human right to mobility and the search for “the good life”? How does forced displacement impact our understanding of home, identity, and belonging? Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Social Inquiry 1.

Note that this information may change at any time. Please visit the MyBU Student Portal for the most up-to-date course information.