Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has signed an agreement with Carleton to establish a new independent home for a research network that deals with migration, diaspora, and refugee studies.
Howard Duncan, the executive head of the research network Metropolis Secretariat, said the project began in 1996 and was intended to be an experimental and temporary project. It has since been renewed twice by the groups of federal agencies that sponsor it.
Metropolis’ continued mandate is to enhance public policy through research in the field of migration and its societal implications, such as economic, geo-political, and population diversity.
Metropolis is the largest policy network of its kind, according to a document provided by the Secretariat.
It contributes to the global migration debate through research activities, conferences, and policy round tables that involve both its large network of academics and government bodies.
The move to Carleton was a coincidence, as the program’s funding came to an end and looked for a new home around the same time as “Carleton…expressed [an] interest to enhance its presence in the international community, particularly in globalization, migration, and diaspora studies,” Duncan said.
“Metropolis has a fabulous reputation for its work in migration and diaspora studies, both internationally and domestically,” said Diana Majury, associate dean of research and graduate affairs in the Faculty of Public Affairs. She added the facility “is a wonderful addition to strengthen the core we already have at Carleton, with a number of faculty and programming that already work on these policy-relevant areas.”
At present, Duncan is the only staff member of the Secretariat at Carleton, but said that once some administrative procedures are formalized, he hopes to hire graduate students as well.
