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Metropolis

The Metropolis Project was created in 1996 to promote academic research on immigration and its effects on our society, and especially on our cities. Metropolis research is designed to be relevant to policy makers, and a major goal of the Project is to have the research results used by governments, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders in the field. Metropolis is a partnership lead by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), involving several federal government departments, non-governmental organizations, universities, academic researchers, and other governments.

The Metropolis Project secretariat, based at Citizenship and Immigration Canada in Ottawa, is the bridge between policy, research and community partners. We strive, first, to encourage and support policy-relevant research that aligns with the priorities of the Government of Canada and, second, to increase the use of research findings by policy-makers and practitioners. We also manage the international arm of Metropolis. The secretariat is, in essence, a knowledge mobilization team.

Activities

• The creation and continued support for five academic Centres of Excellence, which are based in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Montréal and Halifax/Moncton and are partnerships between area universities. Affiliated researchers contribute research on immigration, integration and diversity issues that are local, national, and international in scope.
• Annual Metropolis Conferences – both national and international – that attract more than 700 participants from around the world. For information, visit www.metropolis.net.
• Metropolis Presents, a series of public panels to present research and policy findings on emerging issues in an accessible and engaging forum.
• The Metropolis Conversation series, which brings together experts to exchange ideas in closed-door sessions that contribute to a more informed debate on immigration policy decisions.
• An Inter-departmental Committee of the federal partners that meets quarterly for a cross-cutting policy discussion and to update members on upcoming events and activities.
• The Metropolis Institute, which offers a set of one-day courses on topics related to immigration, integration and diversity. Courses are based on current research in the field and are aimed at policy-makers and those in non-governmental organizations.
• Publications that transfer research knowledge to policy-makers and practitioners. These include the Journal of International Migration and Integration, the World Bulletin, Our Diverse Cities, and special issues of Canadian Diversity and Canadian Issues.
• A suite of web sites that includes a virtual library with access to hundreds of articles and working papers and links to research and other resources.
• Co-chair of the International Metropolis Project, which brings together more than 30 countries and international organizations and is the largest immigration network of its kind.

Network and Partners

• More than 5500 members from all over the world in the Metropolis network
• Federal funding partners include SSHRC, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Canadian Heritage, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Status of Women Canada, Statistics Canada, and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. These partners are intimately involved in setting research priorities.
• Project-based partnerships with Justice Canada, the Library of Parliament, Infrastructure Canada, the Rural Secretariat, and the Public Service Human Resources Agency.
• Five Centres of Excellence, which involve several hundred affiliated researchers, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows from more than 20 universities across Canada.
• Partnerships with provincial and municipal governments and non-governmental organizations, including the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Association for Canadian Studies, as well as with funders of service-providing organizations in the immigration and settlement sector.
• The International Project includes partnerships with countries in North America, most of Europe and much of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as with a number of international organizations, including the International Organization for Migration, UNESCO, the Migration Policy Institute, and the Global Commission on International Migration.