2023

The 2023 Refugee and Migration Studies Summer School took place in July 2023, offering another exceptional experience for students eager to explore complex contemporary migration issues. From navigating the intricacies of humanitarian protection to engaging in crisis management simulations, the program delivered a wide range of academic and practical insights. Participants had the opportunity to attend academic lectures delivered by international lawyers, anthropologists, economists, and public health professionals, while also meeting key decision-makers such as representatives from the Greek Ministry for Migration.

Over the course of the program, 11 students from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and participants from universities in Europe and the U.S., alongside 16 Harvard graduate students, engaged with 48 prominent figures including scholars, policymakers, leaders from international organizations, and members of local and refugee communities. Field visits to refugee reception and identification centers, and discussions with frontline workers provided students with invaluable, on-the-ground perspectives on migration and displacement.

The 2023 Summer School also welcomed one outstanding refugee participant, along with several students from refugee or migration backgrounds, in a continued effort to broaden access to higher education for displaced individuals.

You can meet the 2023 Cohort here and

our speakers and NGOs for 2023 here.

The course took place across four sites in Greece: Athens, Nafplio, Ancient Olympia, and Lesvos. The agenda included lectures, seminars, interactive class sessions, and fieldwork in order to offer participants both conceptual and practical engagement with key issues related to contemporary forced migration.

Feedback from our participants:

“We covered an incredible amount of content for a short amount of time. I now feel more fluent in the space and feel like I have a better understanding that will empower me to make the most of this knowledge and be a force for change”.

“The simulation activity was valuable as the experience I gained from it was nothing like what could have been taught in a classroom, it felt very real as well”.

“The amount of thought and effort put into making this a culturally inclusive experience was incredible. I would have never experienced Greece the same way if it wasn’t for all the placed activities. It was also really great to do it all as a group and build long-term friendships and networks.”

“It was an incredibly rich experience. I made friends for life, I understood my family’s experience of immigration and I feel more ready to fight for things to change.”

Revisit 2023 edition of the Migration and Refugee Studies course through the eyes of some participants.