Center for Migration and Refugee Studies

The Center for Migration and Refugee Studies (CMRS) was first established in 2000 as the Forced Migration and Refugee Studies program (FMRS) and was expanded in 2008 into a Regional Center encompassing all forms of international mobility, whether voluntary or forced, economic or political, individual or collective, temporary or permanent. Situated in the heart of the Middle East and North Africa, CMRS aims at furthering the scientific knowledge of the large, longstanding, and more recent, refugee and migration movements in this region.

About Us

Academic Programs

CMRS offers an MA and a graduate diploma in migration and refugee studies. Both are interdisciplinary degree programs that aim to provide graduates with critical knowledge, research methods, and analytical skills of current theoretical, legal, political, economic, social, demographic, and psychological issues in migration and refugee studies. The MA requires the completion of eight courses and writing a thesis and the graduate diploma requires the completion of six courses and does not require the writing of a thesis.

Master of Arts in Migration and Refugee Studies (MA)

The MA in migration and refugee studies is an interdisciplinary degree program that aims to provide graduates with critical knowledge, research methods and analytical skills of current theoretical, legal, political, economic, social, demographic and psychological issues in migration and refugee studies.

Graduate Diploma In Migration and Refugee Studies

The graduate degree is an interdisciplinary degree program that aims to provide graduates with critical knowledge, research methods, and analytical skills of current theoretical, legal, political, economic, social, demographic, and psychological issues in migration and refugee studies.

Research

CMRS produces and disseminates important research results that contribute to building knowledge on migration and refugee issues, support policy-making and contribute to the debate on international mobility. CMRS has ongoing research projects in Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia. It previously collaborated with other countries in the Middle East and North Africa and is currently working to expand its cooperation in West Africa.

Research Topics

CMRS strives to be a hub for scholars throughout the region. It participates in the building of an operational scientific community by conducting collaborative research, conferences, seminars and debates with a view to developing comparative analyses on migration and refugee issues.

2 college employees providing advice to students

Visiting Fellows and Affiliation Opportunities

CMRS hosts a number of visiting research scholars and fellows carrying out independent research projects during their stay in Cairo. During their affiliation, CMRS fellows present at least one seminar and participate in a number of other activities at AUC. CMRS values the contributions that the following research affiliates made to the program.

Research Partners

Throughout its over twenty years of existence, CMRS partnered with many universities, research centers and individuals working on migration and refugee issues. Such partnerships took different forms including cooperation in joint research, organizing joint conferences, and publishing jointly in edited volumes and peer review journals.

CMRS Specialized Training

Through its outreach and training activities, CMRS promotes lifelong learning and continuing education to its graduates, members of international organizations working in the field of migration and refugees and to the migrants and refugees themselves

Trainings for Researchers and practitioners

Training for Migrants and Refugees

Our Resources

Resources for Students and Researchers working on Migration and Refugee issues

CMRS Special Collection Library

The AUC library system contains numerous materials that relate to migration and refugees, including books, electronic books, and journals located throughout different libraries in the system. Of particular interest to researchers, however, is the CMRS grey file collection, which consists of books, periodicals, and grey files literature.

Access the collection

Announcements

On occasion of the pandemic: Reflections on Egyptian Labor Migration. Read More
CMRS Policy Brief Concerning the Work and Living Conditions of Egyptian Migrant Workers in Jordan. (English / Arabic)
Statement by CMRS on the World Refugee Day
Statement by the Migration and Refugee Forum for the Arab World (MARFA) on the occasion of International Workers' Day 2020

Dr. Ibrahim Awad, warns of the consequences of leaving refugees in double jeopardy during the battle against the pandemic. Read More
Statement by the Migration and Refugee Forum for the Arab World (MARFA) (English / Arabic)
Researching Migration and Mobility in the Global South Workshop, featuring Public Panel Event: On the Move. Migration and Politics of Movement in the Global South Oct. 24-26, 2019 Tahrir Campus, AUC. Read More

Report on the Conference on "Statelessness" organized by CMRS on October 7. Read More
Ibrahim Awad, interview by IEMed (European Institute of the Mediterranean ) about migration in the Mediterranean. Read More
GAPP 10th Anniversary Distinguished Staff Award is awarded to Maysa Ayoub, CMRS Manager. Read More

CMRS joins £20m global research hub aiming to harness benefits of South-South migration. Read More
United Nations Global Compact
CMRS contributes to the UN processes of the Global Compacts on Migrants and Refugees. Read More

Contact Us

AUC New Cairo
Center for Migration and Refugee Studies
Research Centers Building, Second Floor
P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt

AUC Tahrir Square
Center for Migration and Refugee Studies
Outreach Projects, Hill House, Fifth Floor, Room 507
AUC Tahrir Square,113 Kasr El Aini
P.O. Box 2511,Cairo 11511, Egypt