Diasporas and Transnational Communities

This year MiReKoc Summer School explored the theme of “Diasporas and Transnational Communities”. Described as “awkward dance partners” by Thomas Faist, the concepts of diasporas and transnational communities have been increasingly coined together within the international migration scholarship in the last decades. While the old concept of diaspora has initially been used to characterize specific (and usually victimized) populations living outside of an (imagined) homeland, the term of transnational communities was taken into account within the larger framework of transnationalism studies, evoking continuous ties across states’ physical borders. Even though many scholars agree that both terms address cross-border linkages of certain populations, the intellectual debate lingers on how well the two terms overlap with each other.

The MiReKoc International Summer School of 2015 focused on the discussions around diasporas, transnational communities and transnationalism. The Summer School consisted of two weeks of lectures and discussions led by a distinguished international faculty, combined with seminars led by NGO representatives and a field trip within Istanbul. In this year’s Summer School, the theoretical discussions were examined along with the case studies of transnational communities from the world, as well as of communities in and from Türkiye. Lecturers for “Diasporas and Transnational Communities” Summer School included Şebnem Akçapar, Michael Collyer, Nicholas Van Hear, Ahmet İçduygu, Riva Kastoryano, Ayhan Kaya, Rainer Münz, Ching Lin Pang and Raul Delgado Wise!

This program was designed for PhD and graduate students as well as junior experts in the field. Undergraduate students are not eligible for the Summer School. We received applications from all over the world.

29 June- 10 July 2015
PROGRAM

 

Sunday, 28 June 2015
Arrival to Koç University, Sarıyer
18:00-21:00 Welcome Dinner at Koç University
 Monday, 29 June 2015
09:00-09:30 Breakfast at (the entrance of) Class 124 CASE Faculty, First Floor, Koç University
09:30-10:30 Welcoming Remarks by Ahmet İçduygu, Koç University
                       Opening Speech by Rainer Münz, ERSTE Foundation& Hamburg Institute of International Economics
                       Orientation by İlke Şanlıer Yüksel, Koç University
10:30- 11:45 Diaspora Formation and Diaspora Engagement: Concepts and Theories, Nicholas Van Hear, COMPAS, University of Oxford
11:45-12:00 Coffee Break
12:00-13:15 Discussion session led by Nicholas Van Hear
13:15-14:30 Lunch, Koç University
14:30-15:00 Koç University Orientation
15:00-16:15 Diasporas and Homeland Politics, Michael Collyer, University of Sussex
16:15-16:30 Coffee Break
16:30-17:45 Discussion session led by Michael Collyer
19:00-22:00 Dinner at Alimento Restaurant
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
09:00-09:30 Breakfast at (the entrance of) Class 124 CASE Faculty, First Floor, Koç University
09:30-10:00 Remarks by Klaus Wölfer, Austrian Ambassador to Türkiye
10:00-11:15 From a Returning Diaspora to an Immigrant Society: Old and New Immigration to Israel, Moshe Semyonov, Tel Aviv University
11:15-11:30 Coffee Break
11:30-12:45 Discussion session led by Moshe Semyonov
12:45-14:30 Lunch: Koç University Cafeteria
14:30-15:45 Mapping Social Relations, Nishat Awan, Sheffield University
15:45-16:00 Coffee Break
16:00-17:15 Discussion session led by Nishat Awan
Wednesday, 1 July 2015
09:00-09:30 Breakfast at (the entrance of) Class 124  CASE Faculty, First Floor, Koç University
09:30-10:45 The Armenian Diaspora, Sossie Kasbarian, Lancaster University
10:45-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:15 Discussion session
12:15-14:00 Lunch: Koç University Cafeteria
14:00-15:30 Thematic Student Presentations:Economy and Diaspora

Presenters:

  • Dr. Laura Hossu & Daniela Ortner, Research Associate, “To Invest or not? Cultural influences on entrepreneurial intentions of Hungarian, Polish and Romanian Diasporas from Austria”, Institute for Promoting Democracy, Oradea
  • Dr. Natalia Cojocaru, Associate Professor & Olga Cocojaru, “From clandestine migrants to European citizens, from ‘unofficial’ Diaspora: The evolution of the legal status of Moldovan labourers in Italy”, State University of Moldova, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Department of Applied Psychology, Chisinau
  • Melinda Szabó, PhD Candidate, “The Effects of Trading Diasporas on Urban Transformation in CEE: a case study of Chinese entrepreneurs in Budapest”, Central European University, Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Budapest
15:30-15:45 Coffee Break
15:45-17:00 Guided Discussions on the day’s theme
Thursday, 2 July 2015
09:00-09:30 Breakfast at (the entrance of) Class 124  CASE Faculty, First Floor, Koç University
09:30-10:45 The Circassian Diaspora, Ayhan Kaya, Bilgi University
10:45-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:15 Discussion session led by Ayhan Kaya
12:15-14:00 Lunch: Koç University Cafeteria
14:00-15:30 Thematic Student Presentations: Urban and Rural Spaces and Diaspora
Presenters:
  • Florin Faje, Researcher, “Asphalt Connections: Road infrastructure developments and Diasporas in and around Romania”, Department of Sociology, at Babes-Bolyai University
  • Dr. Jakub Grygar, “Vietnamese Diaspora in Prague: food, consumption, and socio-material proximity in the making of cosmopolitan city”, The Institute of Ethnology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic,
  • Annemarie Sorescu-Marinković, Research Fellow, “Contemporary Romanian labour migration to Serbia-towards a new paradigm of Diaspora”, Institute for Balkan Studies, Belgrade
15:30-15:45 Coffee Break
15:45-17:00 Guided Discussions on the day’s theme
17:00-20:00 Meeting with the representatives of migrant communities in an early dinner at Nişantaşı
Friday, 3 July 2015  
09:00-09:30 Breakfast at (the entrance of) Class 124 CASE Faculty, First Floor, Koç University
09:30-10:45 European Muslims: Transnational Solidarity and Belonging Riva Kastoryano, Sciences Po’, CERI – CNRS
10:45-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:15 Discussion session led by Riva Kastoryano 
12:15-14:00 Lunch: Koç University Cafeteria
14:00-15:30 Thematic Student Presentations:Mobilization and Diaspora Politics
Presenters:
  • Dr. Szabolcs Pogonyi, “Engaging the Transnation. Bottom-up perspectives on Hungarian Diaspora Politics”, Central European University, Nationalism Studies Program, Head of Department, Budapest
  • Nataliia Gladkova, PhD Candidate, “Mapping political mobilization of Ukrainian Diaspora networks: A case study of the Czech Republic”, Maastricht University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
  • Peter Kankonde-Bukasa, Joint PhD Candidate & Resarch Fellow, “The Politics of Violent Transnational Mobilisation in (DR)Congolese Diaspora”, University of Göttingen & Max Planck Institute
  • Hamazasp Danielyan, Assistant Professor, “The evolution of Political mobilization in the Armenian Diaspora. From stateless to state-lead Diaspora?”, Yerevan State University
15:30-15:45 Coffee Break
15:45-17:00 Guided Discussions on the day’s theme
Saturday, 4 July 2015
09:00-16:00 Fieldtrip to Polonezköy
Monday, 6 July 2015
09:00-09:30 Breakfast at (the entrance of) Class 124  CASE Faculty, First Floor, Koç University
09:30-10:45 Migration and Diaspora in the Post-Soviet Space, Rainer Münz
10:45-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:15 Discussion session led by Rainer Münz
12:15-14:00 Lunch: Koç University Cafeteria
14:00-15:30 Thematic Student Presentations: Nation States and Diaspora
Presenters:
  • Kornel Janos Laszlo, PhD Candidate & Marta Rado, “Bad neighbours? Roma Diaspora and Radical Right Electoral Results in Central and Eastern Europe”, King’s College London, Faculty of Social Science
  • Dr. Svetluša Surova, Lecturer, “Slovak diaspora policies as a challenging factor for the nation state”, Comenius University, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Political Science, Bratislava
  • Boriša Mraović, Independent Researcher, “Diasporas, nation-states and mainstream societies in Central and Eastern Europe”
  • Dr. Kateryna Ivaschenko-Stadnik, Research Fellow, “Too close or too far: Contemporary challenges and opportunities of the ‘Near Diasporas’”, Institute of Sociology, National Academy of Sciences, Social Research Methods, Kyiv
15.30-15:45 Coffee Break
15:45-17:00 Guided Discussions on the day’s theme
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
09:00-09:30 Breakfast at (the entrance of) Class 124  CASE Faculty, First Floor, Koç University
09:30-10:45 Lecture TBA
10:45-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:15 Discussion session by Alina Şerban and Camilo Antonio 
12:15-14:00 Lunch: Koç University Cafeteria
14:00-15:30 Thematic Student Presentations: Roma Community
Presenters: 
  • Dr. Remus Gabriel Anghel, Researcher, “Migration and social inequality: Changing social relations and patterns of inequality in Romania’s Roma ghettos”, Romanian Institute for Research on National Minorities, Cluj Napoc
  • Dr. Sorin Gog, Lecturer, “ European Union and the ethno-political construction of Roma Diaspora: human rights, citizenship and social inclusion”, Babes-Bolyai University, Department of Sociology, Cluj-Napoca
  • Timea Junghaus, Junior Research Fellow, “ The epistemic context of Roma policy making in Europe”, Institute for Art History, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest
15:30-15:45 Coffee Break
15:45-17:00 Guided Discussions on the day’s theme
Wednesday, 8 July 2015
09:00-09:30 Breakfast at (the entrance of) Class 124 CASE Faculty, First Floor, Koç University
09:30-10:45 Türkiye Related Transnational Communities, Ahmet İçduygu
10:45-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:00 Discussion session led by Ilke Şanler Yüksel and Damla Bayraktar Aksel
12:00-13:30 Lunch: Koç University Cafeteria
13:30-14:00 N-either Refugees, N-or Guests Photoshow, Georgiana Turculet, Central European University
14:00-15:30 Thematic Student Presentations: Diaspora Identity and Culture
Presenters:
  • Dr. Irina Culic, Professor, “From national minority to diaspora: Hungarians in Romania, 2000-2015”, Babes-Bolyai University, Department of Sociology, Cluj-Napoca
  • Dr. Oana Negru-Subțirică, Lecturer, “Identity development and positive adaptation in Diasporas”, Babes-Bolyai University, Department of Psychology, Cluj-Napoca
  • Dr. Gabriela Goudenhooft, Assistant Professor, “Going back home through one’s language? Romanian diaspora mediatic discourse in DACH”, University of Oradea, Department of Political Sciences and Communication,  Oradea
  • Jaafar Alloul, Bi-doctoral PhD. Candidate, “A Social Anthropology of Alternative Mobilities to the Arab Gulf: Mapping Euro-Maghrebi Trajectories to/in the UAE & Qatar”,  University of Leuven & University of Amsterdam
15:30-15:45 Coffee Break
15:45-17:00 Discussion session led by Doğuş Şimşek and Agnese Lace
20:00-22:00 Movie Night
Thursday, 9 July 2015
09:00-09:30 Breakfast at (the entrance of) Class 124 CASE Faculty, First Floor, Koç University
09:30-10:45 The ‘New’ Chinese Migration into Europe and Africa: Developement and Discourses, Ching Lin Pang, KU Leuven University
10:45-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:15 Discussion session led by Ching Lin Pang
12:15-14.00 Lunch: Koç University Cafeteria
14:00-15:15 Indian Diaspora:General Overview and Recent Trends, Şebnem Akçapar, South Asian University
15:15-15:30 Coffee Break
15:30-16:45 Discussion session led by Şebnem Akçapar
Friday, 10 July 2015
09:00-09:30 Breakfast at (the entrance of) Class 124 CASE Faculty, First Floor, Koç University
09:30-10:45 A Critical Overview of Migration and Developement in Latin America, Raul Delgado Wise, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas
10:45-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:15 Discussion session led by Raul Delgado Wise
12:15-14:00 Lunch: Koç University Cafeteria
14:00-15:00 Concluding remarks by Ahmet İçduygu
15:00-16:00 Concluding remarks by Rainer Münz
*supported by of VČELÍ DOM