We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Robin Cohen as Director-Designate of the International Migration Institute (IMI). Current IMI Director, Professor Stephen Castles, who will soon be taking up a Research Chair in Sociology at the University of Sydney, will continue to be involved in the Institute’s work as Associate Director.
Under the leadership of Professor Castles, the IMI has grown to accommodate a staff of nine, and developed an international reputation as a world-leading centre of expertise on the ways in which human mobility is changing the face of global society. In recent months, IMI projects have been awarded grants from the NORFACE Research Programme, the German Marshall Fund, Boeing’s Global Corporate Citizenship Program, and the European Research Council. These prestigious funding awards open up new opportunities for international impact and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Professor Cohen, who has been working closely with colleagues at IMI over the last few months, has an international reputation within the migration studies community. Born in South Africa, he held his first academic position at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and his global perspective will fit well with the Institute's rapidly evolving profile. Commenting on his new role, Professor Cohen said: "It will be a great pleasure to join such a talented group of colleagues, who are initiating pioneering work in the field." Professor Cohen will take up his post as Director on 1 September 2009.