About project

This project seeks to increase and reinforce the cooperation that has been initiated between the Institute for Central Europe (ICE), the University of Liège (ULIEGE) and the University of Paris (UP) in the field of migration and asylum governance.

This field of international relations is gaining increasing importance, as the „refugee crisis“ in 2014-16 became one of the key matters in European politics, digging a deep divide between member states. This divide being mirrored in social sciences, the proposal seeks to foster a stronger mutual cooperation and understanding on these topics, by formalizing cooperation between a young think-tank that intends to take a leadership role across V4 countries on these issues, and two research centers that have developed a strong expertise on migration and asylum.

The three partner institutions have all developed a specific field of expertise in relation to the topic of the proposal: ICE focuses on policy issues that tend to play a decisive role in shaping the future of Europe; ULIEGE has developed a wide expertise on migration and asylum governance in Europe; UP has conducted a number of studies on the health of migrants and the representation of migration in public opinion.

The key objective of this project is to bring these areas of expertise together to create a comprehensive and consistent cluster of research activities. This cluster allows for a better understanding of the mutual perceptions and policies on migration and asylum.

In particular, the project seeks to achieve the following objectives: 1. Develop joint research activities, events and projects pertaining to migration and asylum; 2. Foster cooperation and exchanges of researchers and staff between the three partners, as well as with other international, non-EU partners; 3. Reinforce the research and capacities of the partners; 4. Inform public debates.