Academic CentreThe activities of the UL Centre for Diaspora and Migration Research are based on innovation and interdisciplinary cooperation between the UL faculties, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia and other Latvian and international institutions, as well as diaspora researchers worldwide.
The Centre operates with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Vision
To become an internationally important research centre in the field of diaspora and migration research.
Mission
In an in-depth study of the diaspora and migration, contribute to the sustainable development of Latvian state and society, as well as to the development of research in Latvia and Europe.
Objectives
- To promote modern, creative and internationally recognised migration and diaspora research in the UL.
- To create modern, high-quality and interdisciplinary knowledge base on diaspora and migration issues.
- To promote integration into international networks of researchers and developing publications for international organisations (OECD and others).
- To promote awareness of diaspora and migration issues in society.
- To provide intellectual support to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia and other public person institutions and corporate enterprises in matters of diaspora and migration.
Tasks
- To systematise information on diaspora and migration research, develop a network of researchers, maintain and expand it.
- To publish diaspora and migration research in international peer-reviewed publishers.
- To develop research directions, in which the UL has already got significant capacity and knowledge – diaspora history, education, identity, transnationalism and translocality, social memory, diaspora geography – and to develop new research directions.
- To build an intellectual base and support for students who want to address migration and diaspora-related topics.
- To offer lectures, lecture courses, guest lectures for academic study programmes.
- To popularise the UL Centre for Diaspora and Migration Research of the University of Latvia in Latvian society and the international environment by promoting cooperation between Latvian and foreign scientists, university lecturers and students.
- To call for cooperation between national, local and non-governmental organisations, cultural workers, entrepreneurs, media and communications professionals.
- Through the best practices of European-level diaspora and migration research think tanks, to develop dynamic political consultations in order to improve the development of diaspora and migration policies in a targeted way.
- To identify representatives of the Latvian diaspora and to cooperate with them to study modern and complex migration processes by establishing a system of communication, proposals and dissemination of relevant information to diaspora organisations.
