The Series takes a hybrid approach to participation:

Active participation in the Series

If you are interested in attending the Refocus Series as a summer school, it will be necessary to join all four sessions and then produce a written submission on a topic related to this year’s theme. The piece of work can be a short essay, blog submission, or a piece of creative writing.

This will qualify you for a summer school certificate of completion!

General participation in the Series

Alternatively, you are welcome to simply attend all four sessions or attend specific ones.

Both forms of participation are free and open to all

Your Written Submission

If you are attending the Refocus Series as a summer school, please make sure you join all four sessions and then produce a written submission on a topic related to this year’s theme, which is ‘Forced Migration and Regionalism in Africa today’.

The piece of work can be a short essay, blog submission, or a piece of creative writing.

For example, you might consider writing a blog on a theme or topic that has been discussed in one of the four sessions. For example, the role of the global refugee regime in a specific city or town on the continent; or alternative approaches to ending displacement at the local level; or regional (at the continental or REC level) responses to climate induced displacement. You can alternatively decide to tackle an issue related to regionalism and displacement on the continent that was not covered.

For suggested guidelines on drafting a blog piece please see here

Alternatively, you may wish to write a piece of creative writing related to the series theme. This could be a short story or poem.

Please email your submissions here: Refocus@sas.ac.uk. Any questions on the submissions can also be directed to the same address.

Please note: we cannot guarantee publication of work but we will endeavour to work with participants who are committed to producing original, well researched submissions.

Online hub for the Refocus Forced Migration in Africa Series

We will also shortly be launching a dedicated hub for the Refocus Forced Migration in Africa Series. This will be a space where:

• We will post the recording for each session, as well as relevant articles, blog-posts and other useful information relevant to the session topics.
• We will post other opportunities for further training, tools and suggestions for developing your own research on forced migration issues in Africa.
• We also hope the hub can be a space where emerging scholars and practitioners on the continent or connected to the continent can share their current research – including work generated from the summer school – and develop their networks.

Both forms of participation are free and open to all. Register here.

If you have any questions about the series, or would like to find out how you can get more involved, please send an email to Dr Nicholas Maple.