Symposium on Global Migration and Education in the 21st Century

SYMPOSIUM ON GLOBAL MIGRATION AND EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Participants:

• Prof. Dr. Marcelo Suárez-Orozco
• Prof. Dr. Carola Suárez-Orozco
• Co-Directors, New York University Institute for Immigration Studies

Topic: Global Migration and Education in the 21st Century
Date: 18 March 2009 (Wednesday)
Time: 14:30 - 17:30
Venue: Bahçeşehir University Fazıl Say Conference Hall, Beşiktaş, Istanbul
Additional information: Selçuk R. Şirin, Department of Psychology, sirins@gmail.com

Today, one in every 35 people living in the world is an international migrant, and this ratio is rising rapidly in an increasingly integrated economic environment. The rapid global migration we are experiencing perhaps manifests itself first and most powerfully in the field of education. In many Western countries, a significant proportion of school-age children, for example one in four children in the United States, come from immigrant families. To understand the relationship between global migration and education and to identify its causes and consequences, on 18 March 2009 we are hosting two leading names in this field, Prof. Dr. Marcelo Suarez-Orozco and Prof. Dr. Carola Suarez-Orozco, at Bahçeşehir University. These two important experts, who have authored hundreds of articles and dozens of books and studies on migration, have also been honored for their work by many institutions and countries, including the United Nations, the Kingdom of Sweden and the Government of Mexico. The two professors, who founded and directed the Harvard Immigration Projects, currently serve as Founding Co-Directors of the New York University (NYU) Institute for Immigration Studies.

These two distinguished scientists, who carry out joint work at New York University with Bahçeşehir University faculty member Dr. Selçuk Şirin, will visit our university together with 35 NYU students on 16-21 March. The students, who will attend a one-week course on "Identity as a Social Concept" taught by Dr. Şirin, will also conduct various studies on the origins of cultural, national and religious identity. Within the framework of this program, a scientific symposium (colloquium) titled "Global Immigration and Education in the 21st Century" will be held on Wednesday, 18 March 2009.

We invite you to meet two scientists whose research has broken new ground in this field, in order to better understand the effects of migration on human development and its links with education in a geography that has experienced intense internal and external migration over the last half century.

The meeting is open to all and free of charge.
Simultaneous interpretation in English and Turkish is available.

Prof. Dr. Marcelo Suárez-Orozco

Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, who has numerous articles, books and publications, is one of the founders of the interdisciplinary field of migration studies. Prof. Suárez-Orozco received a Distinguished Professorship in Development and Psychology at Harvard University in 1995 and the title of Victor S. Thomas Professor of Education in 2001. He has given lectures, seminars and talks in many countries. To name just a few: in the summer of 2004 and the winter of 2006, he was invited to Mexico City by the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs to give a talk titled "Globalization, Migration and Education". In 2005 and 2007, the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican invited Professor Suárez-Orozco to the Vatican to give a talk on "Globalization and Education". In the spring of 2005, he also presented a paper on global migration at the Global Meeting of University Presidents organized by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In the summer of 2005, he chaired the deliberations on "Education and Globalization" at the 25th anniversary of the Tällberg Forum in Sweden, attended by Queen Silvia. In the spring of 2007, he presented a paper on "International Migration in Madrid" at the Atman Foundation Deliberations together with Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and others. For his research on Mexico, he was awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor that can be given to a foreigner, by the Mexican government. He currently works at the New York University Steinhardt School as the first "Courtney Sale Ross Professor of Globalization and Education", a title he received in 2004, and serves as co-director of the "Institute for Immigration Studies" at New York University, which he founded together with his wife Carola Suárez-Orozco.

Prof. Dr. Carola Suárez-Orozco

Dr. Carola Suárez-Orozco, who began her professional life as a clinical psychologist, continues it as Professor of Applied Psychology at the New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development and as co-director of the "NYU Institute for Immigration Studies". Her longitudinal empirical study LISA on immigrant families and youth is still one of the most important projects in this field. The book "Children of Immigration", which she wrote with her husband Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, is a must-read for every migration researcher. Professor Suárez-Orozco founded the "Harvard Immigration Projects" in 1997 and was elected to the prestigious New York Academy of Sciences in 2007.

The Suarez-Orozcos have also carried out one of the most comprehensive projects with immigrant-origin youth in the United States, with the highest-budget research project ever funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The results of this study were compiled in the book "Learning A New Land: Immigrant Students in American Society", which they published last year.

Assist. Prof. Dr. Selçuk Şirin

The research of Dr. Şirin, who works in the Department of Psychology at Bahçeşehir University, focuses on identity studies of immigrant and minority children in the United States. Dr. Şirin has a book titled "Muslim American Youth", dozens of scientific articles and editorial services in academic publications. He is also the recipient of the "Best Teacher" (Boston College), "Young Scholar" (Foundation for Child Development) and "Best Scientific Article" (AERA, the world's largest educational research association) awards.