The research chair on forced displacement and migration studies at Addis Ababa University with the support from the International Development Research Center (IDRC) is launched on 17 November 2022. It is hosted at the College of Education and Behavioral Studies (CEBS) in collaboration with the School of Psychology at CEBS and the Department of Social Anthropology at the College of Social Sciences. As the field is multidisciplinary by its nature, the chair is working with other relevant colleges like college of development studies, college of law and governance and college of business and economics. The research chair has a Management Committee and Advisory Board.
The key objectives of the research chair are:
- Examine the context of forced displacement and migration in Ethiopia, the Horn and East Africa with particular focus on governance, security, livelihoods, education and health in view of gender and other diversity factors.
- Localize theories, models, research instruments and interventions related to forced displacement and migration
- Generate knowledge on livelihoods, health and wellbeing and education in the context of forced displacement and migration to inform interventions, outreach and policy
- Address diversity and improve inclusion with respect to gender, disability, and culture in all the activities of the chair (research, capacity building and community outreach)
- Engage in and impact policy processes through research, training, and partnership
- Improve the lives of forcibly displaced people through community outreach and other community-based interventions
- Build the capacity of early career scholars, policy makers and members of the internally displaced and refugee community through short-term and graduate level training as well as engaging them in research, community outreach and policy influence.
The research chair has four major activities namely: Research, Community Outreach, Policy Advocacy & Capacity Building, and Mentorship of Young Scholars.
There are five thematic areas where activities of the chair will focus on in its five years life time.
- Legal frameworks, governance and security related to forced displacement and Migration
- Refugee and IDP economies and livelihoods
- Refugee and IDP Education
- Health and psychosocial support for forcibly displaced people
- Diversity and inclusion in the context of forced displacement: Persons with disabilities (PWDs), gender and minority