Call for Applications: Summer School on Forced Displacement 2025
Center on Forced Displacement (CFD) opens a call for applications for its third Summer School on Forced Displacement to be held May 24 – June 8, 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia. This program is created in partnership with the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade.
Please apply using this form. Applications are due November 29th, 2024.
Program Background and Objectives
Long before the beginning of the migration “crisis” in 2015, the US and the European Union began working on establishing strict border regimes that limit the access to their territories and asylum processing systems for people on the move. People on the move arriving to the EU borders via the “western Balkan route” are most often confined or “pushed-back” to Western Balkan states. Countries like Serbia are put in a role of the “buffer zone,” meant to contain people on the move as they await deportation. While this was not always the role that EU neighbours played in migration management, policies and practices of detterance and prevention of migration are not entirely new.
When and why did these border strategies develop, and what unique and common histories brought them into existence? What is the current impact of these policies on people on the move and local populations? Do they impact internally displaced and other groups in Serbia as well and how? How do migrants and those who work in solidarity with them organize to support or oppose certain policies? In this two-week intensive course, students from different disciplines studying at Boston University and the University of Belgrade will explore these questions through weekly journals, lectures and seminars run by researchers and scholars from partner universities, hands-on workshops and site visits, and discussions with nonprofit organizations, service providers, policymakers, and government officials.
The main objectives of this summer school are:
- Bridge the gap between academic research and practice and connect students and scholars with practitioners, artists and activists working in the field of forced displacement;
- Create space for thinking about, discussing, and designing innovative solutions to current issues and challenges of forced displacement;
- Design and use innovative pedagogical tools and approaches to interdisciplinary, critical studies of forced displacement;
- Educate a new generation of researchers and practitioners in forced displacement;
- Offer students the opportunity to learn firsthand from those working on migration and displacement related issues directly.
Applications Requirements and Eligibility
The program is open to all BU students. Students can apply for this program through the BU provided application form. Students from partner universities can apply through their own school/program.) All applications will be reviewed by a CFD selection committee and selected students will be invited for an interview.
The requirement for all BU students who want to participate in the Interdisciplinary Summer School on Forced Displacement is enrollment in Hub Co-Curricular 193 (which offers one Hub unit in “Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy”) scheduled for Spring 2025 semester. In HUB 193, students engage with readings, videos, discussions, and conversations with academics and practitioners which will prepare them for participation in the Summer School. Students from our partner university will also join some of the HUB classes online.
The deadline for applications is November 29th, 2024
Program Cost and Expenses
All selected students from Boston University are eligible to receive financial assistance from the Center on Forced Displacement, which would cover the following expenses:
- Plane tickets to and from Belgrade (flights not leaving to or from the US not included)
- Accommodation in Belgrade
- Lunches for meeting days at the university (Monday-Friday the first week of the program)
- Program welcome reception
- Three group dinners
All other expenses, including other meals, transportation in Belgrade and to local NGOs, and personal expenses, are the students’ responsibility.
Tentative Program Schedule
Week One: May 26 – May 30
The first week of the program will consist of seminars and background discussions at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Political Science with scholars, activists, and practitioners, followed by informal group reflections. Some of the topics to be discussed include:
- European Context on Migration
- Serbia as a Country of Origin
- Mapping Migration Routes to the EU
- Life in Transit and Reception Centers
- Unaccompanied Minors
- Gender and Race in the Context of Migration
- Populations on the Move
- Border Closures and Anti-Immigrant Extremist Movements
- Models of Care: Healthcare in Focus
- Mental Health and Trauma
- Ethical Concerns in Teaching and Researching Migration
Week Two: June 2 – June 6
During the second week, students will be divided into smaller teams and assigned hands-on work with local nonprofits and NGOs. Potential partners may include UNHCR, KlikAktiv, Border Violence Monitoring Network, Grupa 484, etc. The week and program will end with student group presentations that reflect this work.
For an example of last year’s schedule, please visit this page.
For any questions, please contact CFD Director of Programs Marina Lazetic at mlazetic@bu.edu.