european forum for migration studies (efms)®
Viktor Foerster is initiator, founder and chairman of the european forum for migration studies (efms)®, an institute at the University of Bamberg. The Bavarian State Ministry has awarded efms the legal persona of a university institute as defined in Art. 129 para. 5 of the BayHSchG (Bavarian Higher Education legislation). It is the aim of efms to undertake research, documentation, consultation and public relations work in the areas of migration, integration and migration politics in Germany. Interdisciplinary and international cooperation and the transfer of knowledge between research, politics, administration, media, the public and the educational system are absolutely necessary.
It is the main aim of the founder and chairman of the efms to contribute to a humane and sustainable migration policy. At the time of foundation in 1993, it was already clear that migration and integration were two of the most demanding sociopolitical problems of the present. At the same time there was a distinct lack of research institutions which could carry out basic and continuous work in this field. Therefore, the efms sees itself as part of the infrastructure of migration research and integration, and wants to support the informed discourse on migration and integration in Europe.
The institute is financed through donations, research projects and fees for consulting in politics. The responsible body has managed to attract about EUR 5 million of external monies for research and consultation work.
