The International Master’s Degree in Migration (MUM) is an interdisciplinary, inter-university and multilingual project with the following main goals:

TRAINING GOALS

1. Train students from Europe and other non-European countries as experts and professionals in migration. The objective is to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of global migration processes and a commitment to human rights, enabling them to contribute to the development and implementation of migration policies at the institutional level.

The overall goal of this Master’s programme is to address an identified gap in the training of migration experts. The Master’s degree aims to train professionals with a comprehensive understanding of migration processes globally and internally. These processes are driven by unequal development, social violence and discrimination based on race, gender and religion. The Master’s trains professionals who must respect human rights and be able to respond to the demands of the institutions responsible for the development and implementation of migrant policies.

This means that students will be able to:

1. formulate effective migration policies.
2. promote international cooperation policies.
3. foster awareness and prevent xenophobic, racist and dogmatic behaviour and attitudes in the host population and in the migrant groups.
4. cultivate a critical spirit that allows for a broad and global vision of migration.
5. design, manage and evaluate programmes of attention to human groups with population mobility.
6. resolve problems affecting individuals and small groups of migrants.
7. plan and conduct scientific research on migration.
8. teach on the subject.

The MUM offers students the opportunity to practice – initially supervised by professionals – the competencies and roles required for professional practice in the context of human mobility. Subsequently, they will be able to integrate their research experience with their professional practice.

A further objective is to provide a European benchmark in migration training for students from other regions of the world. The Master’s degree incorporates European research and professional traditions, thus ensuring a programme with a European character. The MUM also considers the challenges posed by European institutions and policies in the field of human mobility. It aims to integrate the contributions of various European institutions through the involvement of partner universities and the participation of professors from all over the world.

2. Equip flexible professionals with interdisciplinary and international knowledge.

The Master’s programme has been designed on the basis of research models that have been in place for several years at the partner educational institutions. This research experience is directly reflected in the content of the Master’s core modules. The programme’s interdisciplinary approach is a key factor in ensuring the high quality of the MUM. It brings together disciplines from a range of academic fields, including social sciences (economics, law, political science, sociology and anthropology), humanities (history, demography and geography), education, health (medicine, nursing and psychology) and welfare (social work).

The phenomenon of emigration is complex, global in scope and has significant economic and social implications for both host countries and countries of origin. Consequently, the training of professionals and researchers in migration should encompass all relevant disciplines without any exception. The MUM is designed to be the most comprehensive on the international scene, and this makes this Master’s degree the most versatile at the higher education level. Furthermore, the structure of the programme has been meticulously devised to capitalise on the expertise of other institutions (migration study centres and international networks specialising in migrations, development, human rights, advocacy and health) that have been working in this field throughout the 20th century in some partner universities.

The associated partner institutions of our consortium are located all around the world (Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, England, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, Taiwan, Uruguay, the USA, Venezuela and Vietnam). Furthermore, the five European universities that constitute this consortium maintain extensive international relations with academic institutions of higher education on all continents. It is also noteworthy that research and intervention centres in the USA and Canada are also engaged in this consortium.

This international collaborative network has resulted in the participation of these institutions in research and social intervention projects for years. It is the consortium’s intention to further consolidate its activities and to integrate these experiences into the European context. The MUM was established with the objective of fostering synergies between its members and disseminating the standards of excellence of European higher education.

3. Promote cross-cultural research in the field of migration and facilitate access to doctoral studies.

The Master’s degree provides students with the capacity to pursue doctoral studies while simultaneously applying their knowledge in professional practice within various sectors, including local administration, municipalities, European institutions, NGOs, social institutions and social education centres.

The Master’s professors are selected from both academic and professional backgrounds. In fact, the consortium institutions (partners and associated partners) have considerable experience in both pioneering research and specialised professional care.

GENERAL GOALS

1. Promote social cohesion through the eradication of discrimination, exploitation and social inequality at the local, national, European and international levels. Promote equal opportunities between men and women and accessibility to the labour market for disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities.

Through its training programmes and projects, the MUM aims to engage in social intervention against all forms of discrimination, with a particular focus on the marginalisation of immigrants and their families. Human trafficking – particularly women and children trafficking – is a pivotal topic within the Master’s curriculum, as evidenced by the inclusion of courses on migration, gender and generations, as well as the specialised seminars conducted. The examination of social, political and economic inequalities constitutes an essential component of the students’ critical thinking.

Migrations in the world are caused by restructuring societies, whether driven by technological progress, economic factors or forced migrations resulting from violence. Migrations between Latin America, Africa and Europe are an example of this phenomenon. The recent occurrence of internal armed conflicts and wars has resulted in the establishment of refugee camps. Consequently, immigration represents a significant challenge that most EU states cannot ignore.

2. Promote good practices in the field of international cooperation and development while cultivating a culture of peace and disseminating democratic values.

The MUM and its courses reflect a clear commitment to democratic values and the promotion of a culture of peace. This is evidenced by several courses covering migration policies, human rights, integration processes and migration projects. In other Master’s degrees, the significance of such content may vary. However, it represents the core of the MUM’s academic project.

It is worth noting that our consortium collaborates with countries that have traditionally implemented local development programmes based on emigration, such as Mexico (3x1 programme) and the Philippines, with the aim of engaging both the countries of origin and the host countries. Furthermore, the International Network of Migration and Development offers a wealth of experience and operates on an international scale.