Maissam Nimer is a sociologist working in the fields of sociology of migration, education, and gender with a regional focus on the Middle East and Turkey. She received her PhD in sociology from Paris Saclay University in July 2016. Her doctoral dissertation focused on mechanisms of social and cultural selection that explain the inequality of access to higher education in Lebanon. Her research has been supported by a number of institutions as she has received a Mercator-IPC Fellowship, a Koç University Seed Fund, a contribution allowance by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, and IMISCOE sponsorship. Her work has been published in international and regional academic journals including Gender and Education, Third World Quarterly, International Studies in Sociology of Education, as well as Idafat, Civil Society Review, and New Middle East Studies Journal. She obtained my MSc from the London School of Economics and BS from the American University of Beirut. She teaches sociology of education at Galatasaray University.
For more information: https://maissamnimer.wordpress.com/
Project: “Institutional Structures and Syrian Refugees’ Experiences with Turkish Language Education in Turkey”
Language is one of the most significant challenges for refugees in determining inequalities in terms of education, income, and social contact. However, access to language training in Turkey remains ad-hoc, restricted, and not formally institutionalized. While aiming to address the gap in academic research focusing on language instruction for refugees, this project aims to develop strategies for the policy-making community. As the Syrian crisis becomes increasingly protracted, Turkish state actors’ projects and plans progressively move toward permanence, and language integration plays a key role in finding durable solutions.
While the settlement of Syrian refugees in Turkey becomes a longer-term reality, and while the Turkish government continues to receive international funding to set up an integration system, this project aims to make recommendations about how the delivery, availability, and accessibility of language instruction can be improved. By examining the diverse experiences of refugee adults, structural/institutional variations in language training, and the ways in which refugees interact with these systems, this project seeks to develop strategies to facilitate integration and settlement in their host country.
Long-Term Exclusionary Effects of COVID-19 for Refugee Children in the German and Turkish Education Systems: A Comparative Perspective
2019/20 Mercator-IPC Fellow Ellen Kollender and 2018/19 Mercator-IPC Fellow Maissam Nimer’s policy brief “Long-Term Exclusionary Effects of COVID-19 for Refugee Children in the German and Turkish Education Systems: A Comparative Perspective” was published in July 2020.
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Institutional Structures and Refugees' Experiences with Turkish Language Education in Turkey
2018/19 Mercator-IPC Fellow Maissam Nimer’s report Institutional Structures and Refugees’ Experiences with Turkish Language Education in Turkey was published in October 2019.
Click here to download the document.
Sustainable Approaches to Humanitarian Assistance in the Field of Language Education for Adult Refugees in Turkey
2018/19 Mercator-IPC Fellow Maissam Nimer and IPC Intern Tuygun Oruç’s policy brief, “Sustainable Approaches to Humanitarian Assistance in the Field of Language Education for Adult Refugees in Turkey” was published in March 2019.
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Welcoming of the 2018/19 Mercator-IPC Fellows
We welcome our 2018/19 Mercator-IPC Fellows, Cem İskender Aydın, Annegret Warth, Jannes Tessmann, Ender Peker, Maissam Nimer, Yohanan Benhaim, and Joanna Krzeminska.
Cem İskender Aydın | Assessing Multi-level Governance Using Participatory Multi-criteria Evaluation Frameworks: The Case of Windfarm Conflicts in Turkey
Annegret Warth | Municipalities as Actors of Youth Exchange?! An Exemplary Case Analysis of Youth Work and Local Governance Structures in Turkey
Jannes Tessmann | Multi-scalar Labor Governance in EU-Turkey Garment Value Chains: Challenges and Potentials for Workplace Integration of Refugees
Ender Peker | Producing Actionable Knowledge to Achieve Climate Responsive Urban Development in Turkey
Maissam Nimer | Access of Syrian Refugee Adults to Language Instruction
Yohanan Benhaim | Turkish Business People and the War in Iraq: Impacts and Prospects in Trade and Construction Sectors
Joanna Krzeminska | Refugees and Elementary School in Istanbul - Inclusion of Young Refugees through Cultural Education
The Protests in Lebanon: Perspectives on Context, Dynamics and Future
2018/19 Mercator-IPC Fellow Maissam Nimer organized a panel on “The Protests in Lebanon: Perspectives on Context, Dynamics and Future” on December 10, 2019 at IPC Karaköy. Raja Abillama and Mert Arslanalp from Boğaziçi University and Freelance Journalist Bissane El Cheikh participated as speakers.
Exploring the Dimensions of Refugee Inclusion: Social Structures, Institutions and Strategies Conference
2018/19 Mercator-IPC Fellows Maissam Nimer and Jannes Tessmann convened an international conference on “Exploring the Dimensions of Refugee Inclusion” on November 28-29, 2019 at the Consulate General of the Netherlands, Istanbul.
The first keynote speech of the conference “Shifting the Gaze: Beyond Inclusion and Social Cohesion toward Refugee-Refugee Relationality” was given by Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh from University College London on November 28 at the Consulate-General of the Netherlands. The second keynote speech of the conference “Rethinking ‘Inclusion’: Coloniality, Patriarchy and the Administrator’s Gaze in ‘Refugee Inclusion’ Projects” was given by Prem Kumar Rajaram from Central European University on November 29, 2019 at the Consulate-General of the Netherlands.
Language Education for Adult Refugees in Turkey
Maissam Nimer convened the panel “Language Education for Adult Refugees in Turkey” on September 27, 2019 at IPC Karaköy. The event brought together practitioners and scholars for a set of panels and moderated conversations about the situation of language education for adult refugees in Turkey.
Fellows from the Turkish Heritage Organization's Non-Resident Fellowship Program Visit
Eight Fellows from the Turkish Heritage Organization’s Non-Resident Fellowship program visited IPC on July 4, 2019. They discussed recent issues on Turkey, Turkey-US relations, Syrian refugees in Turkey, and the economy with Maissam Nimer, Ersin Kalaycioğlu, Bahri Yılmaz, and Cana Tülüş Türk.
European Parliament – IPC Visit
IPC and the Economic Development Foundation (IKV) hosted parliamentary consultants from the European Parliament to discuss contemporary Turkish politics, Turkey’s foreign policy, and EU-Turkey Relations on October 31, 2018 at IPC Karaköy.
Welcoming of the 2018/19 Mercator-IPC Fellows
The Welcoming of the 2018/19 Mercator-IPC Fellows was held on October 8, 2018 at Salon IKSV. The event marked the seventh cycle of the Mercator-IPC Fellowship Program of the IPC-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative.
The event began with welcoming remarks by Director Fuat Keyman, followed by remarks from the Chairman of the Advisory Board at Stiftung Mercator, Rüdiger Frohn. The welcoming remarks were followed by a movie screening that introduced 2018/19 Mercator-IPC Senior Fellows Atila Eralp and Özcan Mutlu and the 2018/19 Mercator-IPC Fellows Annegret Warth, Cem İskender Aydın, Ender Peker, Jannes Tessmann, Joanna Krzeminska, Maissam Nimer, and Yohanan Benhaim.
