APMRN
UPDATE No 5, December 1997
Articles in
this issue:
2nd
APMRN International Conference
Hong Kong
University's Centre of Asian Studies will host the 2nd international
conference of the APMRN. The conference/workshop will run for 3 days
from the 23rd to the 25th of February 1998. Up to 20 participants from
APMRN member countries will be invited to participate. The conference
is open to all persons working or interested in migration research and
ethno-cultural diversity in the Asia Pacific.
The
conference will generate a series of research proposals from APMRN
members, and will also hold a special session on legal aspects of
migration. APMRN members and other participants are invited to submit a
working paper on the theme, considering issues of migration law-making
and regulation within countries of the Asia Pacific.
The
conference will also hold a session for policy makers and donor
agencies, highlighting the Network as an organisation well placed to
carry out research and expert policy advice.
For more
information on the conference, please contact Patrick Brownlee at the
APMRN Secretariat, University of Wollongong, 2522, Australia. Ph: +61 2
4221 3171; Email: apmrn@uow.edu.au
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Korean Migration Team
News from
Professor Hyunho Seok of Sung Kyun Kwan University recently reported
that the Korean Migration Team had won a grant to carry out migration
research. The Centre for Future Human Resource Studies in Seoul granted
over US $10,000 for a review of exisitng research material on
international migrant workers in Korea.
Four review
papers will be produced concerning Government policies on international
labour migration, labour relations of migrant workers, social and
psychological adjustment of migrant workers, and the establishment of
social networks and communities amongst these workers.
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News
from Malaysia
Tey Nai
Peng reported some time ago that the Population Studies Unit at the
University of Malaya had won funding for a project on Socio-economic
and political implications of international migration in urban areas of
Malaysia. Fieldwork is expected to being by the end of 1997.
Meanwhile,
a workshop to formally launch the Malaysian Network was held on the
24th of November this year. Dr Shamsulbahriah of the Population Studies
Unit organised the workshop, addressing both thematic issues of
migration research in Malaysia, and also the structure of the Malaysian
Network.
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China
Holds Migration Workshops
In October
1997, Dr Huang Ping, coordinator of the Chinese Migration Research
Network, organised two excellent workshops in Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Dr Robyn Iredale, from the APMRN Secretariat at, Wollongong University,
participated in the workshops and was excited by the nature of the
research that is occurring within China. The workshops were funded
through a grant from the Japan Foundation.
The
Shanghai Workshop was attended by 13 people who are doing a range of
research on both internal and international migration. A recent
development is the establishment of a Centre for International
Migration at the Population Institute, East China Normal University,
Shanghai. The Centre has a brief for a large ongoing project to assist
Shanghai and China to manage flows of international migrants. Two
aspects are of particular interest to the Centre: comparative study of
the migration policies and laws of other countries and history of
migration from China (esp Shanghai) since 1979 to major destinations
(Canada, US, Australia, NZ, etc).
Another
topic that was discussed is the `Social and Economic Impacts of Female
Migration from China to Japan'. This is emerging as a very important
issue as young rural women from coastal parts of China are paying large
amounts of money to go to Japan. The Philippines experience could
contribute to this research.
The
Guangzhou Workshop was attended by 20 people and was held in a
beautiful old house on the campus. Most of the researchers appear to be
working in Guangdong province on various aspects of internal
migration-social, political, cultural aspects of the huge floating
population in this province. Particular areas, especially Shenzhen, are
attracting a great deal of interest as problems of social instability,
high crime rate, lack of identity, lack of security, lack of rights,
etc have emerged as important. Issues relating to the migration of
females have attracted more attention than elsewhere. Research is also
being done on the links with source regions and the effects on sources.
The next
Chinese workshop will be held in Beijing. Papers will be presented on
internal migration and the population, economic, environmental and
social/cultural impacts.
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UNESCO-MOST Pacific Social Science
Research Network Established
A
UNESCO-MOST Conference on the Management of Social Transformations in
the South Pacific Region has decided to establish a Pacific Social
Science Research Network focussing on migration and urban development.
The Conference, held in Fiji from 13-16 October 1997, was attended by
social scientists and government officials from many nations in the
region including Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New
Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Australia. Stephen
Castles represented the APMRN Secretariat at the meeting.
The meeting
was hosted by the Suva Campus of the University of the South Pacific
(USP), and the Acting Vice-Chancellor of USP, Professor Rajesh Chandra,
played an active role in the deliberations of the conference. Professor
Chandra has participated the work of APMRN in the Pacific region for
some time, and was a delegate to our Bangkok meeting in 1996.
The
Conference debated the major social transformations occurring in the
region. Economic, cultural and environmental changes are linked to
urbanisation and major shifts in life-styles. Many Pacific islanders
are migrating overseas, either temporarily or permanently. Some islands
now have large shares of their populations - sometimes the majority -
living in New Zealand or the USA. A number of island nations are also
experiencing in-migration of skilled personnel or business people from
Asian countries, further complicating the complex ethnic balances left
by colonialism. Both in- and out-migration accelerate change, with
significant effects on cultural maintenance and national identity
The
Conference went on to discuss the role of social science research in
improving understanding of the changes and in providing data and policy
options for decision-makers. An urgent need for improved communication
and collaboration between social scientists was identified. The
delegates of the Conference therefore decided to establish a Pacific
Network for Social Science Research within the framework of the
UNESCO-MOST Program. Professor Chandra promised the support of USP in
coordinating the network, and offered Fiji $5000 as initial funding. It
was agreed that the new Network would seek support from UNESCO and
other agencies.
The
Conference identified two key areas for research for the Network: urban
development and migration. Stephen Castles suggested that the migration
research activities could be linked to the work of the APMRN - a
proposal which was welcomed by the Conference. It is hoped the
establishment of the Pacific Network for Social Science Research will
lead to an improvement of research capabilities and a growth in
research activity in the region.
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Taiwan
Partnership With APMRN
While
Taiwan is not an official member of the APMRN, Professor Ching-lung
Tsay of Academica Sinica, Taiwan, has maintained a separate partnership
with the Network.
Recently,
Professor Tsay informed the Secretariat that an application to the CCK
Foundation for support to form a Taiwanese Migration Research Network
had been approved. The grant is approximately $US 75,000 for the two
year period from July 97 to June 99.
The
Taiwanese work will be independent from the APMRN, but will conduct
research and activities compatible with APMRN programs.
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APMRN
and Vietnam
Following a
visit to the University of Wollongong in July 1997, Professor Mac Duong
of the Institute of Social Sciences, Ho Chi Minh City has expressed an
interest in participating in the APMRN.
An
invitation has been extended to Professor Mac Duong to attend the APMRN
conference in Hong Kong in February '98 and to present a paper on
migration issues in Vietnam.
The ISSHO
is a multi-disciplinary institute, belonging to the National Centre for
Social Sciences & Humanities of Vietnam. It produces a quarterly
social science journal and runs teaching and research programs.
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UN
Symposium on Migration
In
June-July 1998, the UN will host a Technical Symposium on International
Migration. The APMRN will be represented at the conference, and the
APMRN Secretariat has been involved in planning a number of sessions.
The
conference is an important development in acknowledging migration as a
major issue throughout the world. Themes to be covered at the symposium
include international migration and development; migrant integration;
responding to assylum seekers; migrants employed in irregular work; and
re-evaluating issues of female migration.
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Asia
2000 Foundation Sponsors New Zealand Research
The Asia
2000 foundation has funded a project being carried out by members of
the Aotearoa-New Zealand Migration Research Network. The Asia 2000
Foundation is an independent grant-making trust set up by the New
Zealand Government in September, 1994.
The
project, "Entrepreneurial Strategies of Hong Kong Chinese Business
Migrants to New Zealand," is a 12 month study examining the flow of
business migrants between the two countries and the implications for
New Zealand immigration policy. The research will focus on analysis of
New Zealand Immigration Department data, as well as a series of
interviews with business migrants.
The
University of Waikato, New Zealand and the University of Hong Kong, are
also supporting the project financially. Dr Elsie Ho and Prof. Richard
Bedford from New Zealand, and Prof. Wong Siu-lun from Hong Kong are
collaborating on the project. All are members of the APMRN.
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