The American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo (AUC), founded nearly a century ago, is the region’s premier university — an essential contributor to the social, political and cultural life of the Arab world. It serves as a crossroads for the world’s cultures: a vibrant forum for reasoned argument, spirited debate and global understanding between the Middle East and the West. It is a vital bridge between cultures, linking Egypt and the region to the world through scholarly research, study-abroad programs and partnerships with academic and research institutions.
AUC is an independent, non-profit, apolitical, non-sectarian and equal-opportunity institution. An English language university, it is accredited in the United States by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition, AUC has reached top levels in international education through higher levels of accreditation of its separate programs, including business, computer science and engineering.
Through its unique career advising and placement services, AUC ensures its graduates have the opportunity to secure jobs in Egypt and abroad. With small classes, career training and a broad array of extracurricular activities, students acquire the practical skills they need to succeed in the real world. Located in Tahrir Square, the university boasts one of the largest English language libraries in Egypt, well-equipped laboratories and a technologically advanced learning environment. In 2008, AUC will move to a new 260-acre state-of-the-art campus in New Cairo, designed to the highest international standards.
Working to attract top performing students throughout Egypt and the rest of the world, AUC offers more than $14 million in financial aid and scholarships each year. Its diverse student body hails from more than 100 countries.
Currently, The Forced Migration and Refugee Studies Program (FMRS) is situated on the fifth floor of the Falaki Building, one of the several buildings owned by the university in downtown Cairo.
Forced Migration and Refugee Studies Program
The Forced Migration and Refugee Studies Program is a program of education, research and outreach that started at the AUC in 2000.
Research
Since its establishment, research has been an integral part of FMRS’s activities. Throughout the years FMRS was engaged with numerous individuals and institutions that work in the field in researching and sharing information on forced migration issues. Research was carried out under three general themes: refugee settlement in urban areas in the South; immigration, nationality, refugee law and policy in Arab League countries; and health issues for refugees in urban areas. A number of papers were published as FMRS working papers emanating from such research. The working papers can be downloaded from the FMRS website: www.aucegypt.edu/fmrs/reports. In addition, FMRS plays a major role in investigating significant events taking place in Cairo, like the event surrounding the tragic forced removal of the Sudanese protestors on December 2005. This report as well as others is also available on FMRS website.
Today, under the leadership of FMRS new Director: Dr. Philippe Fargues, FMRS at the AUC is planning to expand into a Middle Eastern and African center for migration and refugee studies. This center will be built on FMRS achievements and driven by research. FMRS is uniquely positioned, geographically at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, to take the lead for such an initiative. Proximity to the sources and destinations of massive migration and refugee movements gives it a distinct vantage point to construct knowledge on these issues.
Gathering the Middle Eastern and African migration and refugee studies community into a network, defining research objectives and methodologies to be shared within the network, then linking this network to the wider migration and refugee studies community worldwide is FMRS’ goal for the coming years. It aims at systematically building comparative knowledge on migration and refugees across the region. Its research and studies will be directed towards the academic community as well as a variety of non academic stakeholders such as NGOs and civil associations, policy makers, international organizations, and the media.
Education
The FMRS Graduate Diploma is considered one of the most attractive graduate programs for International students and increasingly for local Egyptian students who are motivated to seek careers in development and humanitarian aid. On average, 25 students are enrolled in the program consisting of around two thirds international and one third local Egyptian students. The Graduate Diploma currently consists of six required courses including international refugee law and psychosocial issues in forced migration. Other courses cover political, sociological and anthropological analyses, methods of research and critiques of humanitarianism and the treatment of refugees, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. In addition, a range of courses on human rights law, the United Nations, ethnicity, identity and nationalism are offered as electives.
FMRS is currently working towards developing the diploma into a full MA program, an initiative that is being encouraged by the university. This program will be the only one in the world offering a Masters degree specializing in migration and refugees in the Middle East. Courses that will be offered in addition to those for the graduate diploma include theories of globalization and migration, population movements, the politics and economics of labor migration, migration and development as well as legal and administrative aspects of migration.
Outreach
The intention of FMRS outreach activities has been to raise the awareness of the general public to the situation and problems of refugees in Egypt and is currently engaged in the following activities targeting people beyond the University gate:
-
Summer and Winter Short Courses
-
Weekly Seminars
-
STAR (Student Action for Refugees): A student run organization that raises awareness about refugee issues providing volunteer education services.
-
Cairo to Camps: An Arab youth group that provides workshops in arts and theatre to Palestinian refugee children in Lebanon
-
The Cairo Community Interpreters Project: Serves the refugee communities in Cairo with interpreter training and capacity building.
From next year outreach activities will include migrants, in particular Egyptian emigrants and members of their families as Egypt is a signatory to the UN 1990 Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.