The UNU-GCM held an Internal Research Workshop on 5 and 6 July. Every researcher presented their current project for peer review.

Commencing the two-day workshop, Junior Research Fellow, Ottavia Ampuero Villagran, presented her research project focussed on the identification of migrant bodies in the Mediterranean. Her work contributes academic evidence towards 'Migration, Social Inclusion and Peaceful Societies', one of the UNU-GCM's three major lines of work, and aims to better protect migrants' human rights and provide solutions for equality.

Jasper Johnston, Research Intern at UNU-GCM delivered his presentation on the use of the terms migrants and refugees and a new model for categorisation. Jasper was also responsible for organising the two-day Internal Research Workshop event, designing the programme and the side social events.

Àngels Fàbregues (left) and Cecila Ortega form the UNU-GCM administration team - the engine room of the institute. Their support throughout the two-days ensured the event ran smoothly.

Dr. Valeria Bello, Senior Research Fellow at the UNU-GCM discussed her latest project, titled 'Places of Welcome. Best Practices in the Sustainable Inclusion of Newcomers'. For this research project she is supported by two research interns, Lorna Casamitjana and Monica Burns

Providing her support to the research, Monica Burns shared her comparative analysis of the legislative frameworks for inclusion of immigrants in Italy and Spain, as well as insight into the Italian reception and detention centres and processes

Also feeding into research project, Lorna Casamitjana, presented a media analysis on the best practices of migrants’ integration programs in Spain.

Launching the section on 'Migrations and Cities', one of UNU-GCM's three themes of work, Junior Research Fellow, Janina Pescinski, presented her research on diaspora groups in major cities, which includes recent fieldwork in Senegal.

João Paulo Tavares Coelho de Freitas, Doctoral Training Fellow, presented his latest research, titled 'Migration and Urban Planning: Linking Cities to Transcalar Processes'. He explained, “My research examines strategic city planning trends using documentary analysis to assess whether this framework is well equipped to address the processes of migration”.

“Since the start of the migration 'crisis', Barcelona, as well as other big cities in the south of Europe, have had to face increasing groups of migrants workers that cannot enter into the formal labor market,” stated Julián Porras, Doctoral Training Fellow, as he presented his work on the social networks and new labour organizations helping irregular migrants to construct urban citizenship. He continued, “The Trade Union of Street Vendors is working towards different routes to get these workers rights and recognition.”

In his presentation, Francisco Cos Montiel, Senior Research Officer at the UNU-GCM, explored how the factors of demographics, climate change and especially technology will impact migration in the future. In particular, he argued automation and AI will dramatically affect migration in countries of origin and destination, yet have not received much attention in recent debates. His research fits within the 'Migration and Technology' theme of the UNU-GCM.

Professor Parvati Nair, Director of UNU-GCM, delivered a presentation on a major United Nations University report to be launched in September. 'Surges and Swarms' is a cutting-edge project on addressing xenophobia and the role of the media in representing migration.

Presenting her research project on 'Access to Protection among Refugee Populations: The Case of GBV in Lebanon', Menaal Munshey, Doctoral Training Fellow, shares her experience and fieldwork from refugee communities in Lebanon.

Explaining the whole phenomenon of human migration by osmosis. Doctoral Training Fellow, Samir Djelti, presented his study that uses an osmosis analogy to explains migration between two regions. In biophysics, osmosis is the mvemont of water from a less concentrated cell to the more concentrated one through a semipermeable membrane. The theory replaces cells with countries, membranes with borders and water molecules with people, to show how humans move from the more to the less populated country.

"My policy report focuses on the challenges and opportunities that refugee youths have faced during the integration process to higher education with the case study of Syrian refugees in Turkey," said Doctoral Training Fellow, Begüm Dereli, introducing her current research project. Her presentation was the last of the two-day workshop, and drew the UNU-GCM event to a close.