Kaldors increase support for refugee law centre

Published in the UNSW Newsroom, 8 June 2016.

The valuable work of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law is set to continue after Andrew and Renata Kaldor increased their financial commitment over the next five years.

In just three years, the Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law has achieved global recognition for its research on forced migration issues.

Based at UNSW Law and established in 2013 through the generosity of Andrew Kaldor AM and Renata Kaldor AO, the Centre has excelled in its mission to generate pioneering, evidence-based research that supports the development of solutions for the world’s displaced people and to raise the quality of public policy and debate about asylum seekers and refugees.

That mission is set to continue after the Kaldors generously increased their commitment to the Centre over the next five years.

UNSW has responded to the Kaldors’ contribution by also making a strategic investment over the same time frame.

The Centre’s founding director, Scientia Professor Jane McAdam, said the support had come at an important time.

“We are honoured that the Kaldors and UNSW have agreed to support us in our ongoing endeavours to find durable, humane and legal solutions for refugees and other forced migrants,” Professor McAdam said. “With the highest number of displaced people in the world since World War II, this generous commitment couldn't be more timely.”

The Centre’s work has never been more important than now. Renata and I are truly delighted to join the University in supporting a significant increase in the Centre’s capacity to develop better policies for the treatment of displaced people.

The Kaldors, both refugees who fled to Australia from Eastern Europe after World War II, were motivated to establish the Centre by their deep concern about Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. They saw the Centre, the world’s first and only academic institution specialising in international refugee law, as an opportunity to inspire evidence-based debate and inform both public opinion and policy.

“Within the last three years, Jane and her team have become an authoritative contributor to the exchange of ideas about forced migration in Australia and globally,” Mr Kaldor said. “The Centre’s work has never been more important than now. Renata and I are truly delighted to join the University in supporting a significant increase in the Centre’s capacity to develop better policies for the treatment of displaced people.”  

The Centre has made a remarkable contribution since its establishment, and is recognised as a thought leader not only in Australia but internationally. The Centre’s expertise is routinely sought out by leaders, UN and intergovernmental organisations, civil society and media. Its international contributions have involved meeting with global leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos and advising on the international response to climate change and disaster-induced displacement, including through the intergovernmental Platform on Disaster Displacement.

Closer to home, the Centre’s recent contributions have included opinion pieces about changing the conversation on asylum seekers and responding to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s comments about refugees. The book Offshore: Behind the wire on Manus and Nauru, recently published by Research Associate Madeline Gleeson, offers important and searing insights into offshore asylum centres on Manus Island and Nauru.

Law Dean Designate Professor George Williams welcomed the renewed commitment, saying: “One of the most difficult challenges facing Australia and the world is how to respond to the plight of people fleeing from persecution, war, climate change and other problems. The Kaldor Centre is the only institution of its kind in the world. It brings a unique focus and global leadership to this area that is sorely needed.

“The generosity of Andrew and Renata Kaldor, strongly backed by UNSW, means that the Centre will have a sustainable, world-class foundation upon which to conduct its work.”

Published in the UNSW Newsroom, 8 June 2016.