Professor Leander Kandilige, Professor of Migration and Development at the Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana, has been appointed Vice-President (Africa) of the International Panel on Migration (IPM). In this role, he will help strengthen the representation of African research and perspectives in global migration policy and debate.
The IPM is an independent, interdisciplinary and permanent scientific organisation established to bridge the gap between migration research and public and political debate. Drawing on the model of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Panel synthesises the best available research across the social sciences on migration and communicates evidence to policymakers, journalists, civil society and the wider public.
As Vice-President (Africa), Professor Kandilige will serve on the IPM Bureau and contribute to the Panel’s work across the region. His role will include supporting the integration and visibility of African research and expertise in the Panel’s efforts to build a stronger evidence base for understanding migration and informing policy.
Professor Kandilige brings extensive experience in migration research, policy development and engagement with regional and international organisations to the position. His research interests include migration and development, migration policy formulation, labour mobility and regional integration, labour migration in Africa, return migration and reintegration, diaspora communities and theories of migration.
Key among his contributions to migration research and policy has been his work on return migration and reintegration, labour migration, migration and development, migration policy development and diaspora engagement. He has served as Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator and researcher on projects supported by organisations including the African Union, International Labour Organization, OECD, International Organization for Migration, European Union, ECOWAS, GIZ and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development.
Professor Kandilige has also contributed directly to migration policy development in Ghana and across Africa. He supported the drafting of African Union continental guidelines on migrant returns, readmission and sustainable reintegration, including a rights-based and migrant-centred return agreement and guidelines for sustainable reintegration. He was also part of the team that developed Ghana’s Diaspora Engagement Policy and contributed to the development of a Code of Conduct and Standard Operating Procedures for Private Employment Agencies involved in the recruitment of labour migrants.
Professor Kandilige holds a DPhil in Migration Studies and an MSt in Forced Migration from the University of Oxford. He also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Managing Voluntary Organisations from the University of Southampton, an MA in International Affairs and a BA Hons in Political Science with Philosophy from the University of Ghana.
His appointment further strengthens the University of Ghana’s contribution to global migration scholarship and policy through CMS, a regional hub for interdisciplinary research, training and policy development in migration studies.
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