Aline Desmas

Please tell us about your research project.
I am a third-year PhD student in social geography and migration studies.
My research focuses on families' experiences of waiting when they are accommodated in French asylum centres. Drawing on Children's geographies, this ethnography aims more especially at understanding the children's perspectives on this particular time and space. 
It is supervised by sociologist Anna Perraudin (CNRS, UMR Citeres) and geographer Camille Schmoll (EHESS, UMR Géographie-cités) and funded by Institut Convergences Migrations.

Could you please tell us a bit more about your scholarship/exchange programme?
I am a visiting PhD student from École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris. I am benefiting from their exchange programme and collaboration with the MFO where I am staying for Michaelmas term.
First impressions of Oxford/the University?
I was immediately charmed when I stepped foot in Oxford, then the autumn colours started to appear and I discovered the Radcliff Camera, which both make up a perfect setting for studying. The city and university, which are hard to distinguish, are exceptional environments. Regarding my research per se, Oxford is a resourceful place as the university hosts two research centres devoted to migration studies, COMPAS, which is located across the street from the MFO, and the Refugee Studies Center. 
I am very grateful for the opportunity I was given to stay here for a whole term and I am sure my research will highly benefit from my stay in both such a stimulating and quiet place.