Ellen Percy Kraly, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of geography and environmental studies, has taken up the 2019 Willy Brandt Guest Professorship in International Migration and Ethnic Relations (IMER) at Sweden’s Malmö University. The professorship brings senior migration scholars like Kraly to Malmö to contribute research in IMER, offer public lectures and seminars, and guide graduate students.
Prior to her official arrival in Malmö, Kraly was invited to give a keynote speech at a conference on refugee and border issues at the Malmö Institute for Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare last October.
“In the keynote I was who I am — a vlog professor,” Kraly said. “I tried to make my remarks include the participants and presentations of the conference by making connections and identifying common as well as contrasting themes.”
Kraly began her professorship by reading widely, mentoring graduates, and preparing seminars — the first of which consider recent strides at the United Nations in global migration governance and responsibility sharing concerning refugees.
Her yearlong post emphasizes the formation of long-lasting relationships with the institute, and Kraly particularly enjoys her involvement with graduate and postdoctoral students. Her background as co-editor of the volume The Demography of Refugee and Forced Migration and editor of the peer-reviewed journal International Migration Review helps in providing feedback on their research and project proposals. She believes her background in the liberal arts and interdisciplinarity of the vlog curriculum has particularly aided her in this mentorship.