The Launching Ceremony of the Center for Migration Studies (CMS) and the International Seminar on “Migrants in Times of Crisis” was held on 17 December 2022 at North South University.
CMS of the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG), NSU aims to be a source of knowledge on migration and a means of achieving human rights and justice for those who are moving in need. The vision of CMS is to be the foremost regional think tank on migration issues by bringing together academics, scholars, researchers, and practitioners to produce, learn and share knowledge that is useful and informs policy, a source of knowledge on migration, and a means of achieving human rights and justice for those who are moving in need.
The Chief Guest of the ceremony was Dr. Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, Secretary, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Government of Bangladesh. The Guest of Honor was Ms. Huma Khan, Senior Human Rights Adviser to the UN Resident Coordinator & UN Country Team in Bangladesh. The Session Chair was Prof. M. Ismail Hossain, Pro Vice-Chancellor, North South University. The Keynote Speaker was Ambassador Shahidul Haque, Professorial Fellow at SIPG, NSU, Bangabandhu Chair at the University of Delhi, India, Senior Advisor of IOM, and Former Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh. Mr. Abdusattor Esoev, Chief of Mission, International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Bangladesh was a discussant.
Dr. Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, Secretary, of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment stated that migration and migrants are part of our existence. Therefore, it is essential to mainstream migration studies within academia and research. He anticipates that this center will be crucial in both this area and in raising public awareness of the challenges surrounding migration.
According to Mr. Abdusattor Esoev, Chief of Mission for IOM, “migrants can increase their productivity by three times when the policies of the nations that receive them for migration are beneficial.” He also emphasized how more vulnerable female migrants are than their male counterparts.
Ms. Huma Khan, Senior Human Rights Adviser to the UNRC stated that, “we, South Asians are descendants of migrants all across the world and we should see it as a matter of pride, not a matter of problem. We consider some nations to be migrant-receiving nations and others to be migrant-sending nations. To protect the human rights of migrants and their families in all nations, we need to think outside of this binary.”
In his keynote address, Ambassador Shahidul Haque of SIPG, NSU, stated that migration is at a crossroads because many unpredictable forces are active at once. There is no migrant crisis, he said, only a crisis of cooperation and a lack of empathy. Migration is neither a risk or a problem; rather, it is a component of the solutions. He recommended that "Constructive conversation for greater international collaboration and the establishment of an innovative migration and mobility system is essential to regulate migration". Migration-related issues should be handled within the parameters of international standards and practices, taking the context of the region into account, and migrants should be the focus of all actions.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor of NSU, Prof. M. Ismail Hossain, emphasized the significance of academic centers on migration studies and expressed optimism that CMS would live up to its reputation and succeed in the future.
Prof. Sk. Tawfique M. Haque, Ph.D., Director, SIPG & CMS, & Chair, Dept. of PSS, NSU, gave a welcome address before the seminar began. Professor Abdur Rob Khan, dean of North South University's school of humanities and social sciences, gave a vote of appreciation to conclude the event. The seminar was moderated by Dr. Mohammad Jalal Uddin Sikder, Coordinator, CMS & Assistant Professor, Dept of PSS, NSU. The seminar was attended by academics, researchers, diplomats, journalists, members of Civil Society Organizations, and students.