OCMO 2270 - Refugee Governance and Policy in the Middle East

The course will familiarize students with the histories of forced migration, and with the legal and institutional responses to refugee governance in Middle East. The first part will introduce students to the core concepts and debates in political theory, international relations, political economy, and sociology that are crucial to understanding the politics of displacement. Building on a multi-level governance analytical perspective (Bache and Flinders 2004; Piattoni 2010), the second part will touch on the various developments that have shaped the politics of forced migration in the Middle East. It will showcase challenges and dilemmas that characterize states' and non-states' responses to displacement. It will also shed light on the legacy of refugee humanitarianism in the region. The third part focuses on comparative case studies of refugee policy and governance in the region. Shifting the gaze to bottom-up refugee governance, we moreover reflect on core texts, methodologies and research frameworks that account for refugee voices, political agency, and aspirations. Students will be furthermore exposed to the relevant methodologies of doing research with refugees and to the ethics of representing forced migration. Guest lectures and a field trip to a humanitarian organization are foreseen.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Understand key policy, legal and geopolitical characteristics that have shaped the politics of displacement in the Middle East

2. Explain the main theories and approaches that are used to understand and analyze refugee politics

3. Apply concepts in politics and IR of the Middle East and relate them to contemporary case studies of displacement

4. Identify and explain variation and similarities in the way states have responded to forced displacement in the Middle East

5. Identify and formulate solutions to a refugee challenge in the international refugee regime

6. Critically engage with methodologies of doing research with refugees

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS:
1. Develop policy-orientated research, presentation, and teamwork skills

2. Engage in role-playing scenarios crucial to understanding diverse situations in the refugee humanitarian field

3. Provide policy recommendations on a refugee challenge

Tamirace FAKHOURY

Séminaire

English

- In Class Presence: 24 hours a semester

- Online learning activities: 0.5 hours a week / 6 hours a semester

- Reading and Preparation for Class: 4 hours a week / 48 hours a semester

- Research and Preparation for Group Work: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester

- Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 4 hours a week / 48 hours a semester

Knowledge of Middle East politics and familiarity with basic notions essential to understanding the international refugee regime would be an asset.

* Additional language of instruction:
Analysis of original sources in Arabic (upon interest or request)

Autumn 2022-2023

Students will be graded (out of 20) on the basis of:

• Participation and attendance: 5%

• Group project and presentation: 45 %

• Final project: 50%

Breakdown of summative assessment and brief description

Participation (5%)

Policy brief + oral presentation (group work): (45%) 2000 words Final project: analytic essay (40%) 300-3500 words

Students will receive feedback by email within a week of each assignment. The progress of the assignments will be monitored every two weeks. Formative assessment will be ongoing, and it will be embedded in the discussions and online debates. Students will also workshop and share their ideas in the online discussions and receive feedback from their peers.