The phenomenon of forced migration continues to challenge global society on the levels of international politics, law and human rights, social and population policies, and humanitarian short and long-term responses.  Egypt, sitting at the nexus of three continents, is a major center and transit country for tens of thousands of refugees and forced migrants.  Thus, the American University in Cairo is perfectly suited for the study of this phenomenon and provides proximity to refugee communities within the country and in the Middle East and Africa as a whole.

The Forced Migration and Refugee Studies Program (FMRS) at AUC is a program of education, research and outreach that seeks to improve the understanding, policies and practices of those who are concerned or work directly with refugees and other forced migrants. While maintaining a global and comparative perspective, FMRS focuses on the particular issues and circumstances of displacement in Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin from multiple viewpoints, including those of host societies, policy makers, states, humanitarian organizations, and in particular, of the forced migrants themselves.

FMRS offers a multi-disciplinary graduate diploma for that purpose and supports research and service activities that are mutually re-enforcing, grounded in the needs of stakeholders,and promote a growing appreciation of the social, psychosocial, economic, cultural and political relevance of forced migration to academics, practitioners and the general public. For more information, we invite you to investigate the links in the right-hand column of this page.