About AMIS

AMIS is an interdisciplinary centre for migration research based at the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Copenhagen. The centre was established 2013 in order to make migration a strategic research priority at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen.

Combining a diversity of social sciences and humanities approaches to the theory and practice of migration, AMIS’ research is focusing on moving populations and mobility practices as well as irregularized and forced migration. AMIS offers an interdisciplinary two-year master’s degree programme in advanced migration studies.

Research

AMIS promotes cutting-edge research on a broad range of issues within the theory and practice of migration, focusing on moving populations and mobility practices as well as irregularized and forced migration. It is a guiding principle for all of AMIS’ work that grasping the complex dynamics of migration requires a collaborative effort from a wide range of disciplines. AMIS therefore combines a diversity of social sciences and humanities approaches to migration, including history, ethnology, religion, philosophy, sociolinguistics, literary studies and the arts.

AMIS offers a variety of complementary approaches to migration studies. A main emphasis is put on qualitative methods, such as ethnography, together with a keen interest in collaboration with partners in various sectors of society. At the core of our work is an ongoing critical and self-reflexive assessment of the exceptionality, irregularity and historicity of categories such as “refugee” and “migrant”, in effect broadening the scope of migration research to incorporate the many ways of being on the move in often precarious life situations.

The primary aims of AMIS include:

• promoting excellent research within social sciences and humanities approaches to migration 
• stimulating and facilitating cooperation among researchers engaging in the study of migration 
• providing a forum in which research projects and papers can be developed, discussed and improved
• stimulating national and international research cooperation on migration, and hosting talks, conferences, round-tables and book-launches
• addressing issues of migration for which there is significant societal interest
• further developing the master’s degree programme in advanced migration studies.

Teaching

AMIS offers an interdisciplinary two-year master’s degree programme in advanced migration studies. Integrating teaching with research is central to the educational profile of AMIS. The programme’s interdisciplinary profile enables students to reflexively connect familiar disciplinary backgrounds with contributions and perspectives from other disciplines.