The Refugee and Migration Studies (RMS) Hub is an independent academic unit, established in 2021 (see National & Kapodistrian University of Athens Senate’s Decision in Greek), in order to conduct and promote interdisciplinary research on the various forms of refugee and migratory flows and to contribute to an integrative perception of this global contemporary phenomenon.
The RMS Hub is an initiative of the Law School, Medical School, the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, and the Department of Communication and Media Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The Coordinating Committee comprises Professor Maria Gavouneli, Professor Manos Pikoulis, Professor Emmanuella Doussis, and Professor George Pleios.
A mature project based on prior experience
In recent times, Greece has found itself at the forefront of massive refugee and migratory flows. The response has been overwhelming and has come from all walks of life, including the academic community. The National & Kapodistrian University of Athens has been active in research and teaching on subjects relating to refugee and migratory flows, contributing to the further development of the discipline worldwide. It is on the basis of this impressive number of projects on refugee and migratory flows, that the RMS Hub has come into being.
The Faculty of Law, through the Research Center for Public International Law – Athens PIL, is coordinating a major research project on Borderless Sovereignty with emphasis on migration issues; participates in a Jean Monnet network project on Migration & Asylum Policies Systems – MAPS in cooperation with 9 other universities in Europe; and runs a seminar series and a summer school on Migration flows: Challenges and perspectives under International and European Union Law as a Jean Monnet module project. In addition, courses on refugee protection take pride of place in its LL.M. programme in International & European Legal Studies, taught in English. Professor Maria Gavouneli is the coordinator of these actions.
The Medical School has developed an innovative MSc Programme on Disaster Medicine and Global Health, taught in English and in Greek, which comprises traditional teaching with practical experience on the field, leading to further specialisation on Community Medicine or Humanitarian Medicine. Professor Manos Pikoulis, coordinator of the MSc Program, holds the Jean Monnet Chair in Humanitarian Medicine and Response in Action (2020-2023).
The Department of Communication and Media Studies, in collaboration with the Department of Sociology of the University of the Aegean, organises an intensive MSc Programme in Media and Refugee/Migration Flows, taught in English, leading to a further specialisation on News media of refugee flows or Communication management of refugee/migration flows. Professor George Pleios is the coordinator of the Programme.
The Department of Political Science and Public Administration runs for more than 20 years a Master’s Programme in South-East European Studies, taught in English. The course is strongly interdisciplinary, addressed to graduates in the social sciences and humanities, providing a thorough understanding of the key historical, social, political, and economic issues of South-Eastern Europe, including migration governance. Professor Emmanuella Doussis is the coordinator of the Programme.