In the historic Villa Schifanoia at the European University Institute, researchers from esteemed institutions across Europe gathered to showcase their ongoing work for the Algorithmic Fairness for Asylum-Seekers and Refugees (AFAR) Project.
On 7 and 8 March 2024, the European University Institute, one of the five consortium partners of the Algorithmic Fairness for Asylum Seekers and Refugees (AFAR) research project, held a workshop for the international research team working on the AFAR Project to come together and present their interim findings. Based at the Centre for Fundamental Rights, AFAR is a 4-year collaborative research project investigating the uses of new technologies in migration and asylum governance while exploring fairness as a multidimensional concept..
This lively gathering facilitated many constructive exchanges among the researchers regarding their ongoing work across the project's various work packages, while also helping to further develop the researchers' collective understanding of ‘fairness’ as a legal, normative and political concept. A full programme of presentations enabled much direct discussion on the project's research outputs, while the serene setting of Villa Schifanoia provided an ideal space for in-depth conversations on particular topics and challenges outside of the official schedule.
Over two days of collaborative feedback and analysis, the AFAR research team were able to gain valuable new insights into the complexities surrounding the role of automation and the challenges of ensuring fairness for asylum-seekers and refugees. Both AFAR team members and visiting participants alike contributed to this progress by sharing perspectives from their respective areas of expertise and offering diverse viewpoints on the project's subject matter.
As the programme concluded, participants departed with a comprehensive understanding of the findings of AFAR’s work packages so far, while the workshop also served to reinforce the AFAR team members' shared commitment to the further advancement of the project’s objectives. As such, their collective efforts at Villa Schifanoia not only fostered meaningful dialogue and constructive exchange, but also laid the groundwork for the next stages of the AFAR project.
The AFAR Project is a partnership between the Hertie School, the University of Copenhagen, the European University Institue, the University of Zagreb and University of Oxford. It is led by Cathryn Costello, who is currently a Visiting Professor at the Hertie School.
The project is funded by the Volkwagen Stiftung through its "Challenges for Europe" funding programme.