FSH News, Malaysia – Fitria, MR., Ph.D. one of the lecturers in the Department of Law, attended a Workshop on Research and Teaching on Migration Mobilities in Southeast" on 27 November 2004. This workshop was organised together by Dr Alice Nah (Durham University UK), Dr Sharuna Verghis (Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia) and Dr Sin Yee Koh (University Brunei Darussalam). The workshop was held at Monash University Malaysia's campus in Bandar Sunday, Selangor, Malaysia. This one-day workshop brought together academics and researchers from seven Southeast Asia countries and the UK to discuss important topics on Research and Teaching on Migration Mobilities in Southeast.  

The first session discussed the challenges migration scholars face in conducting research in Southeast Asia and key factors that support resilience. During the discussion, the participants explained the difficulty of funding research. The research expenses inevitably lent to the institutions where they belong. As the research on Migration is natural two-folds: state sovereignty and human rights, the participants are often questioned about their loyalty to their nation during their interview process with government officials.  In this regard, the participants need to ensure that their research contributes to their society. Another thing that came up was the interviewees' well-being during the interview, as they had experienced complex journeys. For this reason, the participants always reflect that their research will not cause harm to them and their selves and also to develop ethical aspects of the research. The other challenge that the participants faced was the pressure to publish their work in an international journal.

The second session is about the challenges and issues that migration scholars face in teaching about Migration in Southeast Asia, within and outside of universities and the support or resources that might help teach about Migration. A critical point that the respondents highlight is the aims of the teaching in raising empathy among the students. Therefore, the method used during the teaching process becomes essential. The lecture's creativity becomes the key point. The last session before the closing session was about the opportunity to enhance collaboration shortly through collaborative research and teaching.[FF]