Short Courses

Application Deadline: November 30, 2025

This short course addresses the main challenges and dilemmas researchers confront when collecting and interpreting data on migrants and refugees. Through readings and discussions, participants will examine how migration research is conducted by exploring relevant methodologies and practices. The course aims to orient participants to the main methodological questions that must be answered when conducting primary, original research. It will discuss research methods, including both quantitative and qualitative studies. Additionally, we will discuss questions regarding the accessibility and reliability of relevant data—such as statistical data and social field access—how to handle confidential research material, and data analysis techniques. Ethical considerations, as well as questions of validity and reliability, will also be addressed throughout the course.

About the Instructor:

Ayman Zohry (with a PhD from the University of Sussex, 2002) is an expert in Population and Migration Studies based in Cairo, Egypt. He is the founding president of The Egyptian Society for Migration Studies (EGYMIG). Zohry served as the first chair of the Scientific Panel on Migration at the Union for African Population Studies (UAPS) and was the chair of the first Scientific Panel on International Migration at the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) from 2011 to 2014. His current research interests include internal migration and urbanization, labor migration, irregular migration, migration governance, migration and culture, and migration policies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Europe. Zohry served on the editorial board of the Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies from 2005 to 2013. He now serves on the editorial board of the International Migration Review (IMR).

Application Deadline: January 04, 2026

This intensive five-day interdisciplinary course explores the complex relationship between public opinion, international migration, and the media. The course begins by examining the nature of public opinion toward migration issues and the various factors that shape public attitudes. It then investigates the media’s role using communication theories such as Agenda Setting, Priming, and Framing to illustrate how media influence public perceptions. A practical focus on Framing Analysis equips participants to deconstruct how media portray migration stories through frames such as “economic burden,” “security threat,” or “humanitarian crisis,” and to assess their impact on audiences. The course concludes with a group media content analysis exercise applying framing techniques to real migration narratives. This course is ideal for migration researchers, communication professionals, and journalists. Join us to deepen your understanding of how the stories we tell shape global perception.

About the Instructor:

Maysa Ayoub is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the American University in Cairo, teaching at both the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies (CMRS) and the Sociology Department. With over twenty years of experience, she is a leading scholar in the field of international migration. Her research and teaching expertise cover key areas including migration policies, public opinion and migration, migration and integration, social problems in the Middle East, and qualitative research methodologies. Ayoub holds a PhD in Political Science from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University, an MA in Sociology, and a postgraduate diploma in Migration Studies from the American University in Cairo. Her PhD thesis analyzed the complex relationship between migration policies, public opinion, and media narratives, comparing the policy responses of European countries to large refugee influxes.

Application Deadline: January 25, 2026

This intensive short course offers post-graduate students, international agency staff, NGO workers, lawyers, and others working with refugees or interested in refugee issues, with an introduction to the international legal framework governing the protection of refugees. Through lectures, case studies, and group discussions, participants will explore the core principles of international refugee law as outlined in the 1951 Refugee Convention. This includes the elements of the definition of a “refugee,” criteria for exclusion, the refugee status determination process, ethical and professional responsibilities of those representing refugees, and the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The course will also explore broader issues related to refugee rights and policies, especially amid today’s polarized debates on migration. We will analyze the tension between the sovereignty and international legal obligations of nation-states, focusing on the growing reliance on migration agreements as tools for “migration management.”

* A background in law is useful but not required.

About the Instructor: 

Parastou Hassouri is a refugee and migration law consultant based in Cairo. She has taught the course on international refugee law at the American University in Cairo and has extensive experience in the field of refugee and immigrant rights and migration policy. Her background includes working as a consultant with various UNHCR operations in Morocco, Turkey, Jordan, and the Russian Federation. She has also served as a research consultant for several NGOs. Additionally, she worked as a Legal Advisor at Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance (AMERA) in Cairo. Before moving to Egypt, she worked on the Immigrant Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union in New Jersey. She has also previously served as an Attorney Advisor at the Immigration Courts of New York City and Los Angeles.