El SUDIMER. A Lighthouse of Knowledge on Human Mobility

SUDIMER’s primary goal is to convene, promote, and coordinate research related to migrants, refugees, internally displaced, exiled, and repatriated individuals, integrating multidisciplinary teams both inside and outside UNAM. Since its creation, SUDIMER has served as a gathering place for academics, students, professionals, human rights advocates and members of the public interested in understanding the complexities of migration. Under the coordination of Dr. Luciana Gandini, a steering committee comprising eighteen directors from various UNAM entities and agencies, and an Advisory Board that has brought together over fifty researchers from twenty-two departments across the university, the seminar has promoted academic events and training activities, fostering a dynamic space for the exchange of ideas and the development of innovative perspectives.  

The numbers are compelling: from its establishment in 2017 through December 2023, the seminar has organized 222 academic events and 52 training activities. These initiatives featured contributions from national and international experts and drew diverse audiences from over 29 countries. It has also developed globally impactful research projects and has published significant academic works across various formats.

The Summer Courses on Migration and Mobility are established as highly anticipated events each year. Over 2751 students representing more than twenty nationalities have benefitted from our academic offerings, alongside the engagement of 107 professors from UNAM and 71 from other esteemed institutions.  

SUDIMER excels in forging strategic partnerships with various institutions, thereby enriching its initiatives and promoting collaboration both nationally and internationally. As proof of the above, a specific agreement was signed on September 29, 2021, involving UNHCR, UNAM —through the Secretariat for Institutional Development, the Institute for Legal Research and SUDIMER— and Sin Fronteras IAP. This agreement marked the implementation of the diploma course ‘‘International Refugee Law and International Protection in Mexico’’, the first academic offering in international law for refugees, born out from a partnership between academia, an international agency and a civil society organization with the same goal: “to strengthen the technical capacities of those working with individuals seeking international protection, as well as deepen the specialized knowledge of those working from the academy, to consolidate the teaching of international refugee law.”  

This trilateral program has been a groundbreaking success, as the collaboration between these entities brought a rich tapestry of perspectives to the program’s contents, allowing the topics to be addressed in a more comprehensive and complex manner. The diverse approaches, interests and perspectives of each institution significantly enrich both theoretical and practical aspects of the program and strikes a balance between conceptual depth and real applicability, thus promoting a diversity of perspectives and a critical and exhaustive analysis of the problems studied in the diploma program.  
SUDIMER’s commitment to social justice and the defense of migrants’ rights is clear proof to its dedication to making a positive impact. Through the design and the implementation of social service programs, interns, and volunteers have worked together to organize six food and clothing collection campaigns and ten volunteer programs. These initiatives have provided support and accompaniment to migrants in shelters in Mexico City, offering shelter and comprehensive humanitarian care to various migrant groups and their families daily.  

It is important to note that SUDIMER has solidified its position in the study and understanding of migration and mobility, showcasing the potential of academic research to shape a more just and harmonious world. In summary, these endeavors are the result of a collaborative process promoted by SUDIMER. This process hinges on the formation and active participation of diverse academic working groups, including the steering committee. This has facilitated the engagement of both established colleagues and newcomers within the university, fostering knowledge and exchange across different generations and disciplines, spanning at least two subsystems: humanities and sciences. It also incorporates postdoctoral researchers from UNAM, thereby creating a platform for cross-department collaboration. 

In a global landscape defined by human mobility, SUDIMER continues to be a beacon of knowledge and action, advocating for more inclusive policies that uphold the fundamental human rights of migrants.

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