New interdisciplinary master program on international migration and refugees

Responding to the growing demand for understanding globalization, migration flow, and the integration of immigrants into societies, Birzeit University’s Ibrahim Abu Lughod Institute for International Studies launched a new master’s degree program in International Migration and Refugee Studies. 

The university will open its doors for registration in the program this fall, at the beginning of the first semester of the upcoming academic year. 

The interdisciplinary program will provide students with comprehensive knowledge and research and analytical skills on migration and refugee studies, enabling them to contribute to the work of local and international organizations that are involved in this field. Students will engage in relevant discussions and integrate with research networks and training sessions. 

The new program, in addition to the International Studies Program, is now the second master’s degree offered by the Ibrahim Abu Lughod Institute. Lourde Habash, the institute’s director, said that the International Migration and Refugee Studies program is part of the institute’s unit of forced migration and refugees and covers a wide range of political, historical, legal, economic, and demographic topics related to migration.  

Habash explained that the program is research-based and taught with an interdisciplinary outlook that links social sciences with humanities. Students will have the chance to learn from professors who specialize in sociology, political science, law, economics, and public health. Habash pointed out that throughout their journey in the program, students will meet and learn from visiting professors from institutions such as the University of Oxford, Iowa State University, Georgetown University, as well as researchers and professionals.