About

The African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS) is Africa’s leading scholarly institution for research and teaching on human mobility. Established in 1998, ACMS is an independent, interdisciplinary and internationally engaged institution focusing on the relationships among human movement politics, poverty, and social transformation.

While oriented towards southern Africa, the Centre conducts collaborative scholarly and policy-oriented work across sub-Saharan Africa, and has partnerships in Asia, Europe and the Americas. It offers post-graduate degrees in migration and displacement and provides postgraduate training on a number of topics including the sociology of migration, mobility and health, human rights, and research methods.

Vision and Mission

To be an interdisciplinary, internationally engaged, and intellectually independent Africa-based centre of excellence for research and teaching that shapes global discourse on human mobility and social transformation.

While maintaining its scholarly independence, the Centre regularly partners with organisations in government and civil society in identifying data needs, conducting research and shaping policy. Centre staff are also regularly called on to provide expert advice and commentary to international organisations, governments, and the media.

Vision

To be an interdisciplinary, internationally engaged, and intellectually independent Africa-based centre of excellence for research and teaching that shapes global discourse on human mobility and social transformation.

Study

As part of Wits University’s School of Social Sciences, the ACMS offers Honours, Masters and Doctoral degrees in Migration and Displacement. Our students are encouraged to critically engage with social theory and empirical challenges by conducting independent research. Graduates find success in government, international agencies, civil society organisations and within the academy.

Research

Our research on international and domestic migration critically analyses how human mobility reshapes institutions, attitudes, economies and policies. Through its work, the centre influences global and regional academic research agendas, policy deliberations and civil society mobilisation. To these ends, the ACMS regularly hosts high profile seminars and public events.