18 April – 21 April 2018

A showcase of research at De Montfort University

This exhibition and series of talks is inspired by the United Nations (UN) Together campaign, and brings research in migration and refugees across De Montfort University (DMU) into focus.

DMU has been asked by the UN to take the lead in engaging the higher education sector worldwide to be part of the Together campaign. The Together campaign promotes respect, safety and dignity for refugees and migrants. Its key objective is to create a different narrative on refugees and migration, emphasising the benefits of migration and diversity, whilst acknowledging that genuine concerns exist.

DMU was invited to take this lead because of its work throughout Leicester and beyond, offering staff and students volunteering opportunities which benefit refugees, asylum seekers and migrants through its pioneering #DMUlocal and Square Mile programmes.

This January, hundreds of students from DMU visited the UN headquarters in New York to formally begin work on the Together campaign. International universities were invited to a summit held in one of the UN’s famous debating chambers, creating a global network of universities committed to finding ways to successfully integrate refugees into communities, while spreading messages of tolerance and understanding.

DMU is now working with the nine other Together university partners in the USA, Germany, Cyprus and China to share ideas and best practice, while continuing to engage new universities from around the world to be part of the campaign.

This Together research showcase highlights the breadth of research in migration and refugees at DMU, bringing it together for the first time and offering new opportunities across the university – including the creation of a new DMU research network. It is anticipated that the showcase will become an annual event, to help make this research more visible and accessible to the local community as well as to the general public.