François Gemenne: Europe, refugees and our obsession with borders

What does the current refugee crisis in Europe mean for the way we view and define ourselves as 'humanity'? Are we still able to act for people who are located beyond our borders, for people we don't know? Dr François Gemenne explores whether our obsession with borders reveals a crisis of humanity, and an inability to think of humankind as a whole.

This talk was recorded live for the Grand Challenges Program during the EXIT installation at the UNSW Galleries  - Dr Gemenne served as a scientific consultant for EXIT. During his visit to Sydney, Dr Gemenne also called on governments around the world to recognise the link between climate change and migration when he spoke to ABC Radio National. 

About Dr François Gemenne

A specialist of environmental geopolitics and migration dynamics, Dr François Gemenne is a senior research associate at the University of Liège, where he is the Director of the Hugo Observatory. He also serves as co-director of the Observatory on Defence and Climate of the French Ministry of Defence. He is a leading specialist in environmental geopolitics and migration governance. His research deals with populations displaced by environmental changes and policies of adaptation to climate change. During his career, Dr Gemenne has conducted field studies in Tuvalu, China, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives, Mauritius, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and in Japan after the Fukushima disaster.