Nuffield College expands partnership with UNHCR
Nuffield College is pleased to announce an expanded research partnership with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), building on the earlier collaboration established earlier this year to advance knowledge-sharing in support of refugees and other forcibly displaced and stateless people.
This expanded agreement reflects a shared commitment of both institutions to strengthen policy-based and evidence-informed approaches to international refugee protection and responding to the evolving challenges facing humanitarian action. Alongside continuing collaboration on research and scholarship, the partnership will broaden its scope to include new areas of research, public engagement and policy dialogue.
Under the expanded partnership, Nuffield College and UNHCR will work together on research examining the impact of global funding cuts on protection risks facing refugees and other forcibly displaced people, including risks related to trafficking in persons and modern slavery. The partnership will also support historical, legal and policy research, alongside reflection on the international refugee protection regime, the work of UNHCR, and the contemporary pressures facing humanitarian action and multilateral cooperation.
The renewed agreement builds on Nuffield College's longstanding commitment to collaborative social science research with organisations beyond academia. The aim is to reinforce the shared ambition of both institutions to ensure that rigorous academic research continues to contribute to effective policy and practice in global refugee protection.
“UNHCR deeply values its partnership with Nuffield College as a model of sustained collaboration between academia and humanitarian actors. The decision to expand this engagement underscores a shared commitment to advancing rigorous, evidence-based responses to displacement and protection challenges. We are encouraged by the strong endorsement of the College community and look forward to building an even stronger collaboration in the years ahead.” – Elizabeth Tan, Director of International Protection, UNHCR.
“On behalf of Nuffield College, I am delighted we are deepening our collaboration with UNHCR. Nuffield College’s founding mission was to engage in research on social issues in conjunction with non-academic partners, and our partnership with UNHCR is an embodiment of our commitment to that purpose. We are excited by the prospect of continuing our partnership with them” – Julia Black, Warden, Nuffield College.
“Having worked closely together with UNHCR colleagues to examine the likely consequences of recent funding cuts of vulnerabilities to human trafficking and modern slavery, we are delighted to be expanding this partnership into other related fields. At a moment of great geopolitical upheaval in the international system, it is more important than ever for researchers, policy makers and practitioners to be talking to each other about the renewal and strengthening of the foundations of multilateralism and the future of international co-operation.” – Andrew Thompson, Professor of Global and Imperial History, Nuffield College.