Big Challenge

Each academic year the DCII selects an annual theme connected to a major challenge facing humanity, and organizes events and other programming throughout the year that highlight the interdisciplinary nature of potential solutions to this challenge. 

The Big Challenge theme for 2025-26 is Understanding Migration.

Spring 2026 Events:

February 11th: Rawan Arar: "The Refugee System: A Sociological Approach"

Some people facing violence and persecution flee. Others stay. How do households in danger decide who should go, where to relocate, and whether to keep moving? What are the conditions in countries of origin, transit, and reception that shape people's options?The Refugee Systemtells the story of how one Syrian family, spread across several countries, tried to survive the civil war and live in dignity. This story forms a backdrop to explore and explain the refugee system. Departing from studies that create silos of knowledge about just one setting or “solution” to displacement, the book's sociological approach describes a global system that shapes refugee movements. Changes in one part of the system reverberate elsewhere. Feedback mechanisms change processes across time and place. Earlier migrations shape later movements. Immobility on one path redirects migration along others. Past policies, laws, population movements, and regional responses all contribute to shape states’ responses in the present. Presenting an analysis of refugee structures worldwide, this book offers invaluable insights for students and scholars of international migration and refugee studies across the social sciences, as well as policy makers and those involved in refugee and asylum work.

This discussion will be moderated by Dr. Raymond Robertson, Helen and Roy Ryu Professor and Chair of Economics and Government at Texas A&M University.

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April 23rd: Chipo Dendere: "When Voters Exit Authoritarianism Survives"

Dr. Chipo Dendere, Wellesley College, will share insights and findings from her new book, Death, Diversion, and Departure: Voter Exit and the Persistence of Authoritarianism in Zimbabwe, Cambridge University Press (2026). This groundbreaking work explores the complex interplay between voter demographics, political power, and authoritarian resilience in the context of Zimbabwe. Through gripping prose and meticulous research, Dr. Chipo Dendere shows how the emigration and/or death of young, progressive voters creates opportunities for authoritarian regimes to survive. Using Zimbabwe as a case study, Dr. Dendere shows how the lack of young, urban, and working professional voters because of mass death due to AIDS and mass migration in the wake of economic decline has increased the resilience of a regime that may have otherwise lost power. With authoritarianism on the rise globally and many citizens considering leaving home, Death, Diversion, and Departure provides timely insights into the impact of voter exit. 

You can find . 

Fall 2025 Events:

September 17th: Jason De León: "Soldiers and Kings"

Based on the research for his book Soldiers and Kings, winner of the 2024 National Book Award for Nonfiction, Jason De León puts the spotlight on the billion-dollar human smuggling industry that resulted from both U.S. and Mexican immigration and border policies. Using his unforgettable photography and powerful prose, he documents the daily lives of Honduran smugglers who due to heightened security measures, make profit from transporting undocumented migrants across Mexico. In this eye-opening talk, he discusses the evolving, complicated relationship between transnational gangs, the human smuggling industry, and the migrants caught in this violent social process.

You can find . 

October 16th: Allman Family Lecture—Dr. Jennifer Raff: "Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas"

Humans are travelers. From ancestors living two million years ago to children born in 2025, we have migrated from one place to another in search of resources, to flee danger, or simply to explore. This mobility and adaptability is arguably one of our greatest strengths. In recent years, the study of DNA from ancient and contemporary humans has shed new light on our history of movement, complementing findings from archaeology and paleontology. In this lecture award-winning geneticist Dr. Jennifer Raff will explore some of the most exciting examples of migration across human history, visible through the lens of genetics, and how they give insights into who we are. 

You can find . 

November 6th: Misconceptions About Migration: Rapid-Fire Lessons from Around the World

In a lightning-round format, five SMU professors from different academic disciplines will share their insights into commonly misunderstood aspects of human migration, providing a richer picture of migration patterns, causes, and effects than one might glean from American news headlines. The panel features Law Professor Natalie Nanasi, Political Science Professor James Hollifield, History Professor Bianca Lopez, World Languages and Literatures Professor Hervé Tchumkam, and Economics Professor Beth Wheaton-Paramo.

You can find .  

 

Spring programming will be announced later in the fall.