Symposium 2022

In 2022, The Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD) and the Joep Lange Institute (JLI) hosted the 3^rd annual Joep Lange Chair and Fellows Symposium and Masterclass. 

Each year, the scientific organizing committee selects a relevant and engaging theme that encompasses various intersections of global health and development. In 2022, the theme was Migration and Health.

With millions of people constantly on the move around the globe, whether due to war, famine, or simply in search of a better life, migration has become everyone’s reality. Migration impacts many aspects of life, shapes world events, and prompts political debates. One element of migration that is less often discussed is its relation to health. Migration and health encompass a variety of topics from non-communicable and communicable diseases to mental and psychological health, affecting host populations, the population of origin, and future generations.

The symposium featured speakers from distinctly varied backgrounds, disciplines, and approaches, and as a collective, they provided an extensive overview of the challenges surrounding migration and health in 2022. These speakers are some of the leading thinkers on the forefront of migration and health research. The  speaker lineup included Prof. Melissa Siegel, Professor of Migration Studies at UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University and co-director of the Maastricht Center for Citizenship, Migration and Development, Prof. Tamar de Waal, Assistant Professor of legal theory at the Amsterdam Law School of the University of Amsterdam and Director of the Amsterdam Honours College of Law, Dr. Peter Ventevogel, Senior Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC), and Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar, Dean of the University College of London Faculty of Population Health Sciences and Professor of infectious disease epidemiology. The Symposium was moderated by the world-renowned physician and first director of the Center for Infectious Disease Control in the Netherlands, Dr. Roel Coutinho.

After giving each speaker the opportunity to share their perspective, Roel Coutinho moderated a panel discussion among all speakers, where members from the audience were able to ask questions and raise concerns. The 2022 Joep Lange Symposium was an outright success with hundreds of registrants and active participation among attendees.