MAPS Newsletter – Issue #2
The second issue of the MAPS – Migration and Displacement Action Plan for Sub-Saharan Africa newsletter is now available.
This issue reports on the inaugural MAPS Conference, held on 28 July in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) under the title “Migration and Displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa: Towards a Knowledge-Based Agenda.” The event brought together scholars, policymakers, international organisations, and civil society representatives to discuss current challenges and policy responses related to migration and forced displacement in the region.
The newsletter also provides updates on the MAPS academic seminar series, which has hosted international scholars working on migration dynamics, environmental pressures, refugee protection systems, and migration governance in Africa.
Another key milestone highlighted in this issue is the selection of 40 research fellows from Sub-Saharan Africa, chosen from more than 350 applicants. The selected early-career researchers will participate in a comprehensive capacity-building programme, including summer schools, international conferences, and supervised field research.
* The MAPS Project—coordinated by the UNESCO Chair in Migrations, Population, and Development at Sapienza University of Rome— promotes evidence-based policy solutions on migration and displacement and involves a multidisciplinary consortium from Europe and Africa. Partner institutions include six Italian universities hosting UNESCO Chairs (Sapienza, Udine, University Iuav of Venice, Brescia, Ferrara, and Reggio Calabria), the University of Barcelona (Spain), the University of Dodoma (Tanzania), the University of Kabale (Uganda), and AMREF International University (Kenya). Advisory institutions contributing to the MAPS initiative include the IOM Regional Data Hub for West and Central Africa, the Catholic University of Rwanda, and the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa).
