Teacher: Che Singh KOCHHAR-GEORGE
Course Code: JK38005
The course aims to enhance students’ understanding of immigration and refugee policies in Asia.
It introduces contemporary trends, highlighting the complex migratory movements that drive policymaking, as people move in search of safety, survival and sustainable livelihoods. The course provides a broad and general grounding in some of the key analytical and legal concepts used in the policy discourse. As the dichotomy between “forced” and “voluntary” migration is increasingly called into question, students will delve into topics including freedom of movement and mixed migration. They will explore the normative principles underpinning the international legal frameworks that shape immigration and refugee policy-making, and migration governance more generally. Case studies from both destinations and countries of origin across Asia will be used to illustrate and discuss policy in action. Given the often-contentious nature of debates surrounding immigration and refugee policies, students will be encouraged to grapple with the balancing of values and trade-offs that are a necessary part of the policy process. They will be encouraged to analyse situations from multiple perspectives, including those of refugees and migrants, their civil society advocates, employers of migrant workers, governments and the general public in countries of origin and destination, as well as regional bodies and international organisations.
Course Information
Module: Research and Advanced Studies
CATS Requirements: BA 3rd year or above.
Day/Period: Mon/ 2
Location: Sem. 3
Credits: 2
Course Goals
By the end of the course students will be able to engage critically with Asia’s evolving immigration and refugee policy landscape. They will gain a deeper understanding of the theoretical and legal concepts that will be able to assess the extent to which jurisdictions in Asia are engaging with key international rights instruments. The course seeks to develop students’ research, writing, and debating skills, enabling them to articulate a diverse range of perspectives and discuss the viability of alternative policy approaches.
Course Schedule and Evaluation
For a detailed course schedule, please visit KULASIS.
Evaluation will be based on students’ performance across the 15 weeks, including class participation and homework assignments for each session. For students who select the course as one of their 8 ECTS options, a short research paper of between 2000-3000 words is required. Paper topics should be agreed in advance and draw on materials and concepts discussed in class as well as students’ own research interests.
For students who choose the course as one of their 8 ECTS options, grades will be weighed as follows:
Research paper (50%); active participation in class (25%); and homework (25%).
For other students, grades will be assigned according to their active participation in class (50%) and homework (50%) contributions.