The second event in our new Public Lecture Series took place last night (20 November), examining the uncertainty and complexity of migration.
The event was the first in our Public Lecture Series to take the form of an ‘In Conversation’ session, with Jakub Bijak, Professor of Statistical Demography at our University, and Jon Simmons, of the Home Office Analysis and Insight Directorate, examining the complexities of migration in a discussion chaired by the University’s Media Relations Manager Charles Elder.
The panellists explored some of the major challenges surrounding migration, including decision-making and accurate methods of measurement and prediction, how migration can impact policy and the patterns of migration as a result of changing political and economic circumstances.
During the discussion, Professor Bijak commented:
“Very often, for a single migrant, there are many different motives. There are a lot of different drivers for different people.
“A key policy question is how we spread the benefits and share the burden of migration. To manage migration effectively we need to acknowledge uncertainty as the debate currently oversimplifies migration.”
Jon Simmons added:
“There is a lot of diversity in migration; different types of migrants have different motivations and effects. People are diverse and we have to understand this complexity to understand migration, therefore understanding data sources is important.”
You can now watch the live recording of yesterday’s Public Lecture, while further information about this year’s Public Lecture Series, dedicated to the subject of population and migration, is available online.
The final event of 2018 in the Public Lecture Series will take place on Tuesday 4 December at 17:30 at the Royal Geographical Society in London, and will focus on population mapping in low- and middle-income countries. Find out more and book your place here.
