TORONTO, January 5, 2004 --  Applications are invited for the position of Director of the Centre for Refugee Studies at York University for a term of three to five years (negotiable), to begin July 1, 2004.

CRS is engaged in interdisciplinary and collaborative research, informs public discussion and supports teaching in refugee and migration studies. Refugee studies is conceived in broad terms, as being concerned with the displacement of populations and individuals across and within borders, for reasons of persecution, expulsion, violence, violation of fundamental human rights and loss of essential human security and livelihood. At the time of its founding in 1988, CRS became the second centre of its kind in the world. In the 1990s CRS was designated as a Centre of Excellence by the Canadian International Development Agency. Since then an increasing number of centres devoted to the study of forced migration have been emerging in various parts of the world; CRS continues to be one of the largest and most active. Within York University, CRS draws its research faculty from many parts of the university.

Applicants for the position of Director are expected to be members of the full-time faculty at York University and to have interdisciplinary research interests in refugee or related studies and to have published in this field. The Director is expected to administer the day-to-day budget, financial, organizational and academic activities of the Centre, to develop additional funding sources, and to maintain an active individual and collaborative research program.  

The successful applicant will receive an administrative stipend and an appropriate course load reduction as stipulated by the YUFA Collective Agreement. The Director of the Centre reports to the Associate Vice-President (Research).

Applications (including a curriculum vitae and the names of three referees who may be contacted) should be sent to Donna Smith, Executive Officer for Research Centres, Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, 200 York Lanes. Applicants are also encouraged to submit a statement about their ideas for directing the centre and their intended leadership style. Applications and nominations received prior to February 2, 2003 will receive full consideration by the search committee. After that date, consideration will depend on the need for further candidates.