Climate Change and Migration

By Lisa Hoffäller

Supervisor: Dr. Gesa Lüdecke

For my final project, I organized and supervised an international student symposium as part of my position as an Academic Program Coordinator at the Center for International Health (CIHLMU). In total, over 70 participants registered for the symposium. Registration was free of charge and open from the beginning of February until the 11th of March 2021. Together with two masters students and four doctoral candidates from the international PhD program of the CIHLMU, who all came from countries in the Global South, I organized and planned this symposium, which took place on the 12th March 2021 via Zoom. The topic of the symposium was “Global Health Perspectives: Climate Change and Migration.”

Four speakers presented their field of expertise, whereas each speaker delivered a 30-minute presentation, followed by a 15-minute question and answer session. This was then concluded with a joint panel discussion moderated by a guest speaker. The diverse speakers and experts invited for this event as well as the symposium aimed to explore the complex interconnections between climate change, migration and health from diverse global perspectives. A number of themes were tackled, such as the relationship between climate and trade, the role of technology, and the issue of global responsibility. The main aim of the symposium was to highlight how existing knowledge can be used to reduce vulnerability to the effects of climate change, hence enhancing community and ecosystem resilience. This approach was accompanied by a scientific understanding of climate change, while attendees were equipped with relevant mitigating strategies to help populations adapt based on their particular vulnerabilities. By creating awareness of the severity of the consequences of climate change, issues related to global health and migration were also addressed.

All of the presentations during the symposium were recorded, as well as the panel discussion. These were the main components of my final project. An additional exposé briefly explored the process and the institutional framework that led to the development of the symposium, which was intended to serve as background information and a source of reflection. Overall, my main task in organizing this symposium was to bring together an international student group, to oversee all steps and guiding them with training on intercultural communication and project management.

Within this, my approach to organizing the symposium was based on theoretical insights derived from postcolonial theory and decolonizing perspectives and practices. The symposium aimed to both acknowledge and incorporate the critical work and voices of academics from low- and middle-income countries whose work and labor constitutes a significant part of our socio-political discourse. Consequently, all of the decisions about the form of the symposium, ranging from the central topic to which speakers were invited, were made by the international student group.

All in all, the project was a success, and the personal feedback students gave as result of this joint endeavor was very positive. An example of the positive feedback I received is provided below:

“This was a completely new experience for me, and I think it will be hugely beneficial for me in the future. The most important skills I learnt was communicating with a diverse team, communicating with experts & speakers and moderating an event. As a health professional, it is very likely that I will be involved in more scientific events in the future and this was good practice and groundwork.”