I am delighted to introduce the Hume Institute’s new doctoral programme in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies. The scope of the programme covers refugees and the internally displaced driven by conflict, as well as forced migration more widely driven by climate and resource insecurity, political repression and social exclusion. It is designed primarily for professionals working in humanitarian and development policy-making and policy execution in relation to refugees and forced migration, and who wish to deepen their understanding of the factors involved and the latest developments in thinking.
James Watt has nearly four decades of diplomatic experience mostly in the Middle East and West Asia, much of it working in support of humanitarian and development programmes serving refugees and the internally displaced and dealing with the wider phenomenon of migration. Since leaving the British Diplomatic Service in 2014, he has been working as a political risk consultant as well as undertaking volunteer roles in research in the social sciences, again largely in the Middle East. He currently chairs the International Advisory Boards of the Research for Health in Conflict-MENA project, and of the Research for Strengthening Health Systems in Syria project, both led by Kings College London. James also serve on the Board of the Centre for Lebanese Studies, and in 2017-2020 chaired the Council for British Research in the Levant.
Below are a series of topics that are of potential high interest to our programme:
• The role of international bodies and actors in setting the terms of refugee and forced migration protection, assistance and reception
• National responses to refugee and forced migration flows
• International law and standards in relation to the rights of refugees and forced migrants
• Ethnicity, religious belief and cultural markers in refugee and forced migration flows
• Social and cultural transformation resulting from prolonged refugee situations
• Gendered analysis of refugee and forced migration experience
• Refugee and forced migrant education
• Refugee and forced migrant health
• The re-integration of returning refugees and forced migrants
• Security and insecurity in refugee and forced migration experience
• Resource scarcity resulting from climate change and environmental degradation as a driver of refugee and forced migrant flows
• Critical analysis of humanitarian interventions in refugee and forced migration situations
• Critical analysis of development policies applied to long-term refugee and forced migrant situations
• Research methodologies applicable to refugee and forced migration studies
All applicants to Hume must satisfy one of the following conditions in order to be considered for an interview with a Programme Director or Tutor:
1. A good Masters degree from a recognised university, OR
2. Ten or more years’ experience in a related area of work, plus an undergraduate degree of high standing.
In addition, in all cases where a student has not previously completed a degree (undergraduate or postgraduate) taught in English, it will be necessary to provide one of the following:
• IELTS – Overall score 6.5. No less than 6.0 in any section.
• TOEFL – Overall score 90 with minimum scores of 21 for writing, 21 for listening, 22 for reading and 23 for speaking.
• Pearson – 58 with no less than 55 in all communicative skills
Duration for the full-time programme is normally 3 -4 four years with a fee of £12,000 per year;
Duration for the part-time programme is normally 5 -6 years for a fee of £6,000 per year.
