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MRF Summer Academy 2008 to Examine Environmental Change, Migration and Social Vulnerability

Norman Myers and other international experts on migration meet PhD candidates to advance knowledge about human displacement and resettlement

The United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and the Munich Re Foundation Chair on Social Vulnerability are proud to announce the third annual Summer Academy with the focused topic of ‘Environmental Change, Migration and Social Vulnerability’. The 2008 Summer Academy will take place at the Hohenkammer Castle (Schloss Hohenkammer) outside of Munich between 27 July and 2 August 2008.

The Summer Academy provides 25 promising PhD candidates the opportunity to present and discuss research related to the fields of environmental migration and social vulnerability. This year’s workshop welcomes six internationally renowned experts to speak with, direct and mentor participants; among them the well known pioneer researcher on environmentally displaced persons, Prof. Norman Myers from Oxford University. PhD candidates will contribute to skill building workshops, practical exercises and group break-out session in order to conceptualize a global agenda for environmental migration and social vulnerabilities. It is through these workshops that experts and students will be able to work one-on-one in order to advance the science of migration and vulnerability and deal with issues of government policies, practical challenges, and knowledge gaps.

The work of the UNU-EHS and Munich Re Foundation Summer Academy has been instrumental in recent developments regarding environmental migration and social vulnerabilities, including the establishment of the Climate Change, Environment and Migration Alliance, founded in April 2008. Members of the 2008 Summer Academy will examine the outcomes of the Alliance and its developmental meetings in order to identify areas that will require further investigation and research.

Participants in the 2008 Summer Academy will examine the cause, effect and aftermath of environmental migration during the week long meeting. It is estimated that in 2004, 24 million people were displaced because of environmental hazards; this number is expected to significantly increase over the next 30 years. Displacement and resettlement due to environmental changes are becoming growing concerns to our global society and these issues have yet to be soundly resolved or addressed.

Following the 2008 Summer Academy, students will have the opportunity to publish their work and findings with the UNU-EHS series SOURCE (Studies of the University: Research, Counsel, Education). As an example, SOURCE No. 6, Perspectives on Social Vulnerability, and the upcoming SOURCE No. 10 include papers written by participants from the previous two Summer Academies. The SOURCE series provides its audience of students, scholars, and professionals in-depth information within the areas of environment and human security.

More information about the SOURCE series can be found here .