Prague – The 11th IOM Summer School on Migration Studies was held at Prague’s renowned Charles University the week of 26-31 August, attracting 125 students from over 40 countries.

Open to graduate and undergraduate students and young professionals, the summer school is offering six days of lectures, workshops and discussions with experts in the following migration fields: migration and development, integration of migrants, trafficking in human beings, environmental migration, migration and gender and others. 

Lucie Sládková, Chief of Mission of IOM Prague opened the event with an address which covered Assistance to Migrants, being followed by the Director of IOM’s regional office in Vienna, Argentina Szabados, IOM Regional Office in Vienna, who looked at IOM’s response to European and Global Migration Trends.

From the Brussels regional office Katy Barwise covered Migration and Development, whilst high-level speakers form Mendel University, the Wittgenstein Centre, OSCE, UN Information Centre, UNHCR, the Saharan Hustlers Association and the Geographic Migration Centre spoke on a host of relevant and interesting topics.

IOM in Prague has organized the Summer School every year since 2009. It has been attended by more than 500 students and professionals from 60 countries.

The project is implemented in cooperation with the Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague (Geographic Migration Centre) in partnership with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Prague. The project is co-funded by the Czech Development Agency and the U.S. Embassy in Prague within the Small Grants Programme. 

"I am proud of all young people who have come to Prague to discuss migration related issue such as Migration - a new phenomenon? Migration and Development Migration and demography, Migration and Integration and many other issues. I am grateful for all our partners and for the support from the U.S. Embassy in Prague and from the Czech Government, and finally I am happy for the assistance of all my fellow IOMers who have come to facilitate the discussion, to give lecture, or who did tremendous work in organization of this event," said Lucie Sládková, Chief of Mission of IOM Prague

“It was a true privilege to stand before the 125 participants from 42 countries, which included 21 IOM young professionals, and engage in such an active dialogue on global migration trends, said Regional Director Szabados. “It was equally rewarding for me to further interact with the IOM young professional attendees after the day of lectures – it is so powerful to witness such eagerness, optimism and potential.”

Ms Szabados also paid tribute to Lucie Sládková who is retiring after a long and distinguished career in IOM.