Refugee Studies Centre

The Refugee Studies Centre was founded in 1982 as part of the Oxford Department of International Development (Queen Elizabeth House) at the University of Oxford. Its purpose is to build knowledge and understanding of the causes and effects of forced migration in order to help improve the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Nearly three decades after its establishment, the study of forced migration has become a recognised academic discipline, embraced by numerous educational institutions across the world. The need for independent, objective and critical scholarship on factors determining and resulting from the forced displacement of populations has never been greater, and the Refugee Studies Centre remains in the forefront of shaping the agenda in today’s most critical debates.

This prominence is achieved by pursuing three interrelated activities: research, teaching and dissemination.

Research: The RSC provides multidisciplinary, independent and critical scholarship on factors determining and resulting from the forced displacement of populations. The Centre drives scholarship and social scientific debates on forced migration both through its own work and by encouraging collaboration between academics from a wide range of institutions and university departments.

Teaching: The Centre’s teaching programme is designed to support and develop the next generation of scholars and thinkers, as well as to foster a culture of critical reflection within the wider humanitarian community.

Dissemination: A varied portfolio of publications, information resources and networking initiatives promotes influential engagement with a full range of academics, policymakers and practitioners. Details of ongoing activities and achievements are presented in an annual Academic Record and termly newsletter.

A brochure giving an overview of the Centre's work is available (PDF).