Migration in colonial Africa and Asia: historical perspectives, connections and comparisons

Monday 2 July, time TBC, Seminar Room 6, The Library, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes

Migration is one of the foundational pillars of the story of humanity. The study of migration has been energised in recent decades by new sources and frameworks such as transnational history and diaspora studies. Migration is a topic that engages the attention of scholars in numerous disciplines, including history, human geography, development and literature. Understanding migration in its myriad forms has an urgent contemporary relevance in light of current migration movements driven by factors such as conflict (inter-state, intra-state, and non-state), labour demands in a globalised world, and climate change. By bringing together scholars working on historical migration in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia during the colonial period, this event enables area studies specialists who practice transnational history to engage in a productive intellectual dialogue with each other and attendees. The event aims to bridge the gap between scholars of Africa and Asia, and enable historical perspectives to inform research in other disciplines.Speakers include: Dr. Zoe Groves (Leicester), Dr. Jacob Norris (Sussex), and Dr. Natasha Paireaudeau (Cambridge).