Center on Gender and Forced Displacement

🚨 Deadline Extended – Applications Still Open! 🚨
We’re excited to invite applications for the online course:
Urban Futures in South and Southeast Asia
🗓 Course dates: 17 January – 7 March 2026 (weekend sessions)
🌍 Mode: Online

Why join?
Explore critical debates on cities, displacement, and inequalities in South & Southeast Asia

Learn with scholars and practitioners from across the region

Weekend format ideal for working professionals and graduate students

🎓 Funding opportunity:
A limited number of fully funded scholarships, supported by IDRC, are available exclusively for applicants from Myanmar.
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The 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚: 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚 was held at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) from 23 to 25 April 2025. This three-day event brought together scholars, practitioners, and institutional partners from across the region for critical discussions on the politics, practices, and histories of migration in Asia.
Jointly organized by the European Master in Migration and Intercultural Relations (EMMIR), the Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group (CRG), and AIT’s Centre on Gender and Forced Displacement (CGFD), the conference was supported by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The event convened academic, policy, and community perspectives at the intersection of migration, displacement, and development.
🖇️ Read more: https://tinyurl.com/2uf4sttr

🌏 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 | 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩
📍 Asian Institute of Technology, 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝

All good things must come to an end—but some endings are simply the beginning of a new journey. ✨

The final day of the Migrant Asia Conference 2025 unfolded with reflection, learning, and renewed commitment.

☀️ The morning session opened with a powerful keynote by Dr. Mikio Oishi on "𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚", exploring how migration both challenges and enriches the social fabrics that bind communities together.

🎙️ In the valedictory lecture, Prof. Meghna Guhathakurta delivered a stirring analysis of "𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬, 𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐆𝐁𝐕 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬," bringing attention to the often-unseen gendered struggles within displaced communities, particularly among the Rohingyas and their hosts in Bangladesh.

💬 Throughout the day, vibrant panel discussions highlighted the complexity and resilience found within migration:

🔹 Gendered Intersections and Migrant Women: Navigating invisibility, strength, and survival.
🔹 Revisiting Migration and the Pandemic: Rethinking mobility in a post-COVID world.
🔹 Human Rights of Refugees: Centering refugee agency and challenging global inequities.

As the conference drew to a close, Prof. Paula Banerjee , IDRC Endowed Chair of the Center on Gender and Forced Displacement, offered a moving reflection:

"The journey must continue. As academics, it is our task to stand alongside displaced communities—to foster deeper conversations, to advocate for more inclusive policies, and to bring to light the real and complex stories of migration. There is much work ahead, but I remain hopeful. It is in the energy, idealism, and commitment of the younger generation that I see the promise of a more just future. Their enthusiasm reminds us that the movement for refugee rights is alive and evolving, and that our collective activism must never lose momentum."

As the curtains fall, we leave not with closure, but with renewed resolve—𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡, 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞, and to 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 in ways that are just, inclusive, and transformative. 🌟

🌏 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 | 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩
📍 Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand | 📅 April 23, 2025

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚.

The Migrant Asia Conference began with a powerful opening ceremony featuring warm welcomes and critical reflections.

🔸 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐏𝐚𝐢-𝐂𝐡𝐢 𝐋𝐢, President of the Asian Institute of Technology, delivered the inaugural address, reaffirming AIT’s commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship and inclusive futures.

🔸 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐃𝐫. 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐮 𝐑𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐲, President of the Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group, and

🔸 𝐃𝐫. 𝐋𝐲𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐬, EMMIR Primary Coordinator from Carl von Ossietzky University, opened the space for critical conversations.

🔸 Special remarks from 𝐌𝐬. 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐤𝐢-𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐞𝐧, First Secretary, (Embassy of Germany) and closing thanks by 𝐃𝐫. 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡 (CGFD, AIT) set a collaborative tone.

🎤 The morning featured two electrifying keynotes:

🔹 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐍𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 dissected the "𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞," exploring how algorithmic governance and digital infrastructures are reshaping migration.
🔹 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐚𝐫 presented "𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲" challenged the urban myth of security and unpacked how migrants make and remake the modern city.

💬 The afternoon came alive with thought-provoking 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬—bringing together diverse voices and disciplines.

🔹 Logistical Asia panels mapped migrant economies, digital borders, and cross-border infrastructures.

🔹 Urbanization & Culture sessions explored how migrants shape cities and cultural imaginaries—from Thai bar girl brokers in Malaysia to migrant students navigating suspicion and solidarity.

🔹 Each presentation added unique insights, from fieldwork to theory, anchoring lived experience at the heart of academic discourse.

🍽️ The day concluded with informal dinner conversations—deepening bonds across borders and disciplines.

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐬: 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭—𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚.

🌏 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚: 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚

📅 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟑–𝟐𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
📍 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲, 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝


Migration has shaped the past and continues to define the future of Asia. From historical trade routes and colonial legacies to today’s geopolitical shifts, labour mobility, and climate displacement—Asia remains a vibrant hub of migratory flows.

Organized by the European Master in Migration and Intercultural Relations (EMMIR), Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group (CRG), and the Center on Gender and Forced Displacement (CGFD) at Asian Institute of Technology, the Migrant Asia 2025 Conference brings together researchers, practitioners, and community voices to explore how migration has shaped—and continues to reshape—Asia’s past, present, and future.

🔍 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:

▪️ Thematic panels on war, forced displacement, labour migration, gender and mobility, refugee rights, and climate displacement.

▪️ Multidisciplinary discussions bridging academia and practice, law and lived experience

▪️ 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲:
• Prof. Ranabir Samaddar (CRG)
• Prof. Ned Rossiter (WSU)
• Dr. Mikio Oishi (AIU)
• Prof. Meghna Guhathakurta (DU)
• Dr. Thida Chaiyapa (CMU)
• Prof. Dr. Mohammad Morad (SUST)

🎪 Join us for the 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫 on April 24—featuring henna, hair braiding, and handcrafted goods by refugee women in Bangkok. In collaboration with JRS Thailand, CHAMALiiN, and Asylum Access Thailand, this fair celebrates resilience, livelihood, and cultural identity of the refugee community.

🎥 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Calcutta: A Migrant City & City of Transit—evocative films tracing the migration stories that shaped South Asia’s urban imagination.

For more information, Check : https://lnkd.in/eFgyt5UW

Let’s reimagine migration—critically, collaboratively, and compassionately.

𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 🤝

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐣𝐞𝐞, the IDRC Endowed Chair at the Center on Gender and Forced Displacement, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, will be joining the final session of the webinar series “𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬” as one of the key speakers!

🎙️ This session will bring diverse and contemporary policy perspectives to the highly debated issues of gender and forced displacement across the Global South.

🗓️ Date: 𝟐𝟕 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
⏰ Time: 𝟗:𝟎𝟎 – 𝟏𝟎:𝟑𝟎 𝐀𝐌 𝐄𝐒𝐓
💻 Platform: 𝐙𝐨𝐨𝐦
🔗 Register here: http://carleton.ca/fd-chairs-net

Don’t miss this important conversation—join us to explore how gender, power, and mobility intersect in today’s world.

#𝐂𝐆𝐅𝐃

Gender, Geopolitics and Forced Displacement: Global South Perspectives The webinar time is indicated in Eastern Standard Time. Join us for the fourth and last of the IDRC Research Chairs on Forced Displacement webinar Series, aimed at bringing evidence-based knowledge from the Global South and engage with global policy spaces. The aim of the session is to bring in cont...

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐣𝐞𝐞, the IDRC Endowed Chair at the Center on Gender and Forced Displacement, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, will be joining the final session of the webinar series “𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬” as one of the key speakers!

🎙️ This session will bring diverse and contemporary policy perspectives to the highly debated issues of gender and forced displacement across the Global South.

🗓️ Date: 𝟐𝟕 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
⏰ Time: 𝟗:𝟎𝟎 – 𝟏𝟎:𝟑𝟎 𝐀𝐌 𝐄𝐒𝐓
💻 Platform: 𝐙𝐨𝐨𝐦
🔗 Register here: http://carleton.ca/fd-chairs-net

Don’t miss this important conversation—join us to explore how gender, power, and mobility intersect in today’s world.

#𝐂𝐆𝐅𝐃

🌏 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐲𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐚 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩: The "Statelessness and Displacements in Southeast Asia" workshop, hosted on January 23–24, 2025, united experts across academia, policy, and practice. This pivotal event, organized by the Centre on Gender and Forced Displacement in collaboration with IDRC, delved into complex issues such as the Rohingya crisis and the impact of colonial legacies on current migration governance strategies.

🔍 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 focused on creating inclusive, rights-based migration policies and empowering marginalized communities through actionable policy frameworks. The contributions from all speakers and participants were instrumental in framing future directions for regional migration governance.

📖 For more comprehensive insights from the workshop, access the full report here: https://idrc-cgfd.ait.ac.th/?p=1628

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🌍 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐈𝐀𝐒𝐅𝐌) 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 🌍

The International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM) 2025 conference, themed Forced Displacement in an Urbanizing World, brought together leading scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to address critical issues surrounding migration governance, statelessness, and gendered vulnerabilities in the Global South. 🏙️✨

This year’s conference had strong engagement from the IDRC Research Chairs on Forced Displacement, whose work is dedicated to producing locally grounded knowledge that informs policy and practice. Two IDRC / CRDI backed sessions on January 23 and 24 facilitated critical discussions on migration governance, statelessness, and gendered dimensions of displacement. 📢💡

Prof. Paula Banerjee, IDRC Research Chair on Gender and Forced Displacement at AIT and former IASFM President, convened both panels, emphasizing the role of grassroots advocacy and inclusive policies in addressing systemic inequalities.

Ms. Roula El Rifai, Senior Program Specialist (MENA) at IDRC, moderated the January 23 session and chaired the January 24 policy panel in Yogyakarta, which brought together key scholars and policymakers including Prof. Ranabir Samaddar, Prof. Nasreen Chowdhory, Prof. Meghna Guhathakurta, Dr. Mikio Oishi and others. 🗣️📖

The sessions examined the colonial legacies shaping border politics, the securitization of migration, and the impact of digital technologies on refugee governance, with a particular focus on the Rohingya crisis. 🚸📲 Discussions underlined the urgency of shifting from short-term humanitarian responses to sustainable, locally driven solutions that centre agency and resilience. 🔄⚖️