Since the 1970s, international and regional migration has become an increasingly widespread global phenomenon. Studies of migrant populations, migration trajectories and other related issues have thus emerged as a specialized area of research. In China, rapid urbanization and economic development has been followed by large-scale internal migrations of great diversity and complexity, resulting in many unprecedented social problems.

CMS is an interdisciplinary research center, drawing theories and perspectives from many disciplines such as sociology, economics, anthropology and political science. It focuses on empirical research on varieties of migration issues and seeks to offer theoretical models and substantial policy suggestions for understanding and solving the problems related to migration in China.