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Fall for the Book preview events are underway now through Oct. 10, with the festival happening Oct. 11–14. Events for all ages are hosted at the Fairfax Campus and at off-campus locations around Fairfax. Get the full schedule here.

The conference addressed crucial questions regarding refugee and immigrant policy at the local, state, and national levels, access to higher education, and entry paths to the STEM workforce.

IIR Faculty Affiliate, Dr. Justin Gest, published an analysis of the United Nations Global Compact for Migration in Foreign Policy. Together with Dr. Ian M. Kysel, Dr. Gest launched a database as part of Cornell University's Migrant Rights Initiative to catalog "rights across 36 countries that host a significant majority of the world's migrants." In the analysis, "France leads the world with 85 percent of migrant rights covered in national law, followed by Brazil and Argentina (83 percent); Italy, Spain, and Greece (81 percent); Ethiopia (79 percent); and Mexico and the Netherlands (77 percent)."

Released earlier this week, U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2024 ranks Mason at #51 among all public universities and #105 among all universities nationwide. Several degree programs in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences earned high-profile rankings as well. U.S. News & World Report ranked Mason’s graduate program in Criminology as the best in Virginia (#10 nationally), while the Industrial-Organization Psychology graduate program came in at #4 among public universities and #5 nationally.

Amina Skouti (MA Global Affairs ‘23) is quoted in the Hill about participating in a walk through D.C. to spread awareness for refugees.

September marks the second anniversary since Afghan refugees started arriving in the D.C. area. George Mason University’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship within the School of Business recently announced the launch of the RISE (Refugee and Immigrant Success through Entrepreneurship) Program as the first phase of the center’s SOAR Initiative this fall.

Garett Jones, Department of Economics, discusses multiple issues including UAPs, the pros and cons of democracy, and immigrant assimilation.

Dr. Sophia Balakian is a sociocultural anthropologist and Assistant Professor in the School of Integrative Studies (SIS). She joined the faculty at George Mason University in 2020 and became a Faculty Affiliate at the Institute for Immigration Research (IIR) in Summer 2023.

The Institute for Immigration Research (IIR) is excited to welcome Dr. Sandip Sureka as the Shrivastava Family Graduate Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Immigration Research. Dr. Sureka obtained his PhD in Economics from Iowa State University. Prior to joining the IIR, Dr. Sureka taught economics at Cornell College.

The Cheuse Center presents its theme for the year. We present 25 writers, some of whom are visiting America from India and Ukraine. We have Kurdish Iraqi translations, a Russian exile, a Cuban exile's work. Meet our Cheuse Fellows, and local writers from across the world too. Stay tuned and come join us in Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC for more than 10 events this Fall.