The contemporary migration movements, with its increasing intensity and complexified dynamics, takes place in a context of protracted economic recession and increasing anti-migrant sentiments observed particularly in the global North. This contemporary conditions of migration and its specific social repercussions induce the scholars all across the world to problematize the conventional conceptual and theoretical frameworks used to get to grips with migratory movements and to question the effectiveness of the longstanding administrative policies to govern the processes of migration and integrate and/or assimilate migrants into host societies. In this respect, it can be argued that the whole world has been going through a transitory process in which the conventional academic and administrative approaches to migration are being reviewed both at domestic and international levels. Today it became an elusive task in every country to adequately grasp and govern the specific features of the novel large-scale migration movements.       
Turkey, as a country that sent millions of migrants particularly to European countries and has turned in recent years both a receiving and transit country of migration, is in a critical position in terms of international migration. As such, the studies conducted in this country could make a significant contribution to the existing academic debates on nature of the contemporary migratory movements. In this respect, the Migration Studies (MA) programme of Ankara University undertakes a research and teaching perspective that aims to reflect the migration-related knowledge gathered from the specific context of Turkey onto the global-level theoretical and conceptual discussions. Such subjects as motivations of both voluntary and forced migrants, their adaptation to the conditions of the destination country, the legal dimensions and political economy of migration, policymaking related to migration and the domestic as well as transnational actors involved in the governance of migration need to be analyzed more extensively via an interdisciplinary approach Our programme adopts an interdisciplinary outlook and aims to combine the epistemological concerns and research techniques of different academic disciplines as much as multidimensional and multiscalar of nature of migration requires. Both our curriculum and our vision of research reflects this interdisciplinary position.   
Migration Studies Programme at Ankara University, which prioritizes public interest and critical knowledge production, also aims to provide students with the necessary assets that they can mobilize either in public institutions or in domestic and international NGOs and hence increase their chances of being employed in these fields.  

Along the lines of the objective of conveying the local knowledge accumulated in Turkey to global academic platforms The Migration Studies programme at Ankara University aims to reinforce the potential and actual academic capabilities of Turkish academia in general and Ankara University in particular. Given this the programme intends to provide its students with the skills of a) designating their subjects of research based on their observations as to the social dynamics and social problems of the society in which they live and conducting research activities that are meaningful for society at large; b) utilizing the assets provided by the programme in such a way as to develop their capacity to carry out theoretical and conceptual discussions and conduct sophisticated research and thereby to become a part of the international epistemic community; c) connecting the local context to global context, and being related to international academic networks and hence integrating themselves scientifically with the global academic community in general with the EU scholarship in particular. These objectives concern the fields of knowledge/theory (knowledge-producing institutions), implementation/action (NGOs and media) and policy-making (local, national and international policymakers and executors). 
In short, the main purpose of the programme is to nurture specialists and academics who have an awareness of human, social and environmental problems, have grasped the role of the occupational position that they uphold in society, adopting the perspective of life-long learning, utilizing the information and communication technologies effectively, thinking in a scientific, critical and creative manner, having obtained the potential of qualified scientific knowledge production, having the capacity to contribute to a better understanding and governance of the processes of migration.
                                                                             

The graduates of the programme will be able to designate their research subjects based on their engagement with social dynamics and problems. They will have the necessary skills for a theoretical conceptual and thematic elaboration of migration-related issues. They will develop an interdisciplinary and critical approach to migration; they will be able to follow the international scholarly literatüre on migration. They will be able to conduct studies that are meaningful societal interests and will be able to produce innovative scientific knowledge, beneficial ideas and solutions in the field of migration studies. They will be a part of the epistemic communities related to migration studies; they develop cooperation with various partners related to the governance of migration. They develop policy proposals for the decision-makers and executors and they will be able to coordinate and plan projects related to migration.                                    

Turkish

Head of Sub-Department Prof. Dr. Mustafa Murat YÜCEŞAHİN E-mail : yucesahin@ankara.edu.tr CV :

Prof. Dr. Ertuğrul Murat ÖZGÜR E-mail : ozgur@ankara.edu.tr CV :