Young Scholars’ Workshop on Refugee Studies

2026-05-05 - 2026-06-30

📝 Young Scholars’ Workshop on Refugee Studies

👤 Moderator: Mei-Lin Pan (Professor, Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences, NYCU)

🎤 Presentations: 
Topic 1 Across Multiple Boundaries: Negotiating Identity and Exile Trajectories of Syrian Skilled Professionals in Istanbul
Speaker: Ching-Tai Wu (Ph.D., Dept. of Religious Studies, FJCU)
Discussant: Mei-Lin Pan (Professor, Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences, NYCU)

Topic 2 How do refugees wait?: Navigating the Protracted Refugee Situation among Myanmar Refugees in Malaysia
Speaker: Chui-Hua Feng (Ph.D. Student, Dept. of Sociology, NCCU)
Discussant: Yu-Shan Liu (Associate Professor, Dept. of Southeast Asian Studies, NCNU)

Topic 3 Between Refugees and Migrants: Myanmar Nationals in Taiwan after the 2021 Coup
Speaker: Ni-Ni Peng (Ph.D., Dept. of Southeast Asian Studies, NCNU)
Discussant: Chung-Chi Chao (Associate Professor, Dept. of Southeast Asian Studies, NCNU)

⏰ Date and Time: May 22, 2026 (Friday), 13:00-17:00 (GMT+8, Taiwan Time) 
🌐 Format: Hybrid (online & in-person). Venue at HC104, Humanities and Social Sciences Building III, Guangfu Campus, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (No. 1001, University Rd., East Dist., Hsinchu City).
📥 Registration Link : https://forms.gle/edtbCBe6j7Zukvsv7
🔤 Forum Language: The event will be conducted in Mandarin. No simultaneous interpretation. 

📄 Abstract
Contemporary global refugee issues are undergoing a profound transformation. The image of displacement is no longer confined to border camps, but extends to urban spaces, professional workplaces, and the gray areas of legal systems. The primary goal of this workshop is to establish an exchange platform for young scholars engaged in refugee studies across different cultural and social contexts. By sharing their research findings and field observations, we seek to broaden understanding of contemporary refugee issues across diverse perspectives and contexts. Furthermore, the workshop hopes to connect individuals from various fields who are interested in refugee issues, conducting related research, or engaged in practical work. Beyond fostering mutual understanding and exchange, we aim to explore possibilities for future collaboration in this field.

This workshop invites three young scholars focusing on different refugee communities to share their research findings. Through their field observations, we will explore how refugees and stateless individuals act as agents who actively intervene in social structures under the influence of geopolitical and economic shifts. The discussions will focus on the causes of refugee generation in varying social contexts, their cross-border migration, and their identity status and social networks in different host societies. Discussants are also invited to provide commentary on specific topics. Through extended dialogues and discussions, the workshop will guide participants to reflect on: how refugee identities are defined within various policies and governance frameworks; how different generations of refugees build their community connections; and even how they utilize various media tools to initiate transnational community actions, thereby participating in or influencing social issues in their countries of origin.

🏷️More info
Organizer: 
International Center for Cultural Studies, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (ICCS-NYCU) 
Sub-project III: Migration, Unequal Citizens, and Critical Legal Studies
Sub-project III Research Group: Refugee and Statelessness

Co-Organizer: 
International Master's Program in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, NYCU 
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, NYCU

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