Queen Mary and Cornell University hold Global Migration Spring School in Malta

Bringing together students and academics from a wide range of disciplines, including geography, law, history, public health, psychology, and cultural studies, the programme fostered critical engagement with the politics, histories, and lived experiences of migration. 

Queen Mary co-lead of the School, Professor Kavita Datta, Head of the School of Geography and Director of the Centre for the Study of Migration, said: 

"This Spring School marks an exciting evolution in Queen Mary’s partnership with Cornell University. By bringing our students and academics together in Malta—at the crossroads of historical and contemporary migration—we’ve created a powerful space for transnational, interdisciplinary learning. It’s been inspiring that such a diverse group of participants should engage so thoughtfully with the pressing challenges and opportunities that migration presents in today’s world." 

A key feature of the School was its interdisciplinary and international character, offering a platform for students and early-career researchers to interact directly with leading scholars, as well as with Maltese academics, activists and NGOs working on the frontlines of migration support and advocacy. 

Throughout the week, participants explored key themes such as labour migration and economic pathways, displacement and youth health, the question of home for the displaced, the impact of climate change on migration and food systems, and the legal and ideological frameworks shaping migration policy. The programme featured expert lectures, student presentations, field visits, and a film screening of Simshar (2014), focused on the human consequences of Mediterranean migration, with Maltese director Rebecca Cremona. 

Associate Professor Kathryn Fiorella, Director of the Migrations Program at Cornell University, added:  

“We’ve been incredibly fortunate to spend time on the Gozo campus. It’s been a rich learning experience, sharing insights across fields, while also engaging with the local context of migration in Malta. We've met with community organisations and watched the powerful film Simshar, which sparked meaningful discussions on migration, both past and present. The chance to meet the filmmaker added another layer of depth to our experience”.  

The Queen Mary academic team was co-led by Professor Parvati Nair, Professor of Hispanic, Cultural and Migration Studies at the School of the Arts and included Professor Isabelle Mareschal, Professor of Psychology and Director of Research in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences; Professor Violeta Moreno-Lax, Professor of Law and inaugural Director of the (B)OrderS Centre for the Legal Study of Borders and Migration; and Dr Dominik Zenner, Clinical Reader in Infectious Disease Epidemiology in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. 

For more information visit the Global Migration Spring School page.