Human and Urban Displacement: From Crises to Creativity

Launch event of the Displacement Studies Research Network
Displacement hero image

This event brings together for the first time the Arts, Sciences and Social Sciences for an international dialogue to explore the intersection between displacement, disaster risk reduction and creativity.

Joining leading experts at the Â鶹´«Ã½, some of the biggest international names involved in policy-making, funding and disaster risk reduction such as Professor Nasser Yassin and Professor Virginia Murray as well as other reputable researchers in the fields of contested arts practice and heritage, and migration geographies such as Dr Diana Walters, Dr Ahmed Masoud and Dr Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh who will be debating, informing and uncovering collectively with established researchers and charity personals critical areas of research in displacement.

This fantastic opportunity of collaboration with thought leaders and influencers provides the perfect platform to launch the Displacement Studies Research Network, which will connect University researchers aligned to the Global Challenges Research Fund, with the leading national and international interdisciplinary research community in this area.

This event is organised by Dr Sana Murrani, Dr Haya Al-Dajani and Professor Iain Stewart.

Join the conversation on social media with #Plymresfest and #PlymDisplacement.

  • The Levinsky Room, 3rd Floor, Roland Levinsky Building

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The Displacement Studies Research Network based at the Â鶹´«Ã½ seeks to provide a voice for the displaced and facilitates a platform for research projects with our global partners.

In recent years, conflict, poverty, and natural and human inflicted disasters have caused an unprecedented rise in the numbers of internally and externally displaced persons and forced migration. Â鶹´«Ã½ has witnessed a steady increase in the number of charities, development and support programmes for asylum seekers and refugees since acquiring the status of the centre for arrival and distribution in the South West of England.

The Displacement Studies Research Network seeks to provide a voice for the displaced and facilitates a platform for inter/trans/cross-disciplinary research projects with our global partners.

Doing so provides a research embedded opportunity to officially launch the network and connecting faculties and research active staff in fields related to the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), and the international, regional and local networks of academics and researchers, policy makers, NGOs, and charitable organisations.

This event will further strengthen our external networks and establishes Â鶹´«Ã½ as a leading interdisciplinary displacement studies research community.

External speakers

  •  (Consultant in Global Disaster Risk Reduction, , Visiting Professor in Health Protection, MRC-HPA Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College and King’s College, London and Policy Fellow Alum, Centre for Science and Policy at University of Cambridge)
  •  (Director of Research at the , Professor of Policy and Planning, Health Management and Policy Department, American University of Beirut, Lebanon)
  •  (Professor of Disaster and Development, Northumbria University)
  •  (Principal Investigator leading the  project; and Reader in Human Geography and Co-Director of the Migration Research Unit at University College London)
  • (Writer and Director of , UK)
  • (International Heritage Consultant, UK and a member of the )
  • David Feindouno (Devon Area Manager, British Red Cross)

University speakers

  • Dr Martin Mowforth (Associate Lecturer in Human Geography, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences)
  • Rosie Brennan (Senior Lecturer in Law, Faculty of Business)
  • Dr Sana Murrani (Lecturer in Architecture, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business, and founder of the Displacement Studies Research Network)
  • Dr Haya Al-Dajani (Principal Investigator ESRC DfID project on Resilient Refugee Women, and Principal Investigator on GCRF ESRC AHRC project on Syrian Refugee Artisans in Jordan, Associate Professor (Reader) in Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Business, and co-founder of the iSPER Displacement Studies Research Network)
  • Professor Iain Stewart (Professor of Geoscience Communication, Director of the Sustainable Earth Institute)

          The event is sponsored by the University's Arts Institute, the Responsible Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Research Group within the Institute for Social, Political and Enterprise Research (iSPER), the Sustainable Earth Institute, and Research and Innovation.

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          External speaker biographies

          Professor Virginia Murray

          In her role in Public Health England, Virginia is taking forward work on evidence base information and advice on flooding, heat, cold, volcanic ash, and other extreme weather and natural hazards events. In addition to this, Virginia is a Coordinating Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation, published in March 2012.

          Virginia is the UK government member on the UN International Strategy for Disaster Scientific and Technical Advisory Group, a Visiting Professor in Health Protection at Imperial College and King’s College, and Policy Fellow Alum at the Centre for Science and Policy.

          Professor Nasser Yassin

          Nasser co-chairs the AUB4Refugees Initiative that aims to bring together and build synergy among faculty and departments in AUB responding to the Syrian refugee crisis. His research and practice interests are in development planning and policy-making in fragile states. His work looks at how civil society actors, community groups and informal networks can influence policies as well as development and humanitarian programs. He is author of more than 30 internationally published articles and reports.

          Professor Andrew Collins 

          Beyond his regular research, teaching and management responsibilities, Andrew represents disaster, development and health related initiatives internationally, including through being an Elected Co-Chair of UK Alliance for Disaster Research, an Elected Chair of Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes, and an Elected Chair of Enhanced Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance (ELRHA) Steering Committee.

          Prior to this, Andrew worked for extended periods in Africa and the Middle-East including voluntary service. He has led the establishment of the world’s first disaster management and sustainable development postgraduate programme, and currently the Disaster and Development Network.

          Dr Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

          Elena's research focuses on the intersections between gender, generation and religion in experiences of and responses to conflict-induced displacement, with a particular regional focus on the Middle East. She has conducted extensive research in refugee camps and urban areas including in Algeria, Cuba, Egypt, France, Jordan, Lebanon, South Africa, Syria, Sweden, and the UK.

          Elena is the Principal Investigator leading the Refugee Hosts project, and coordinator of UCL's Refuge in a Moving World Research Network. In addition, she is Co-Editor of the Migration and Society journal and Co-Editor of the Religion and Global Migrations book series.

          Dr Ahmed Masoud

          Ahmed is a Palestinian writer, director and academic based in the UK, and author of Vanished – The Mysterious Disappearance of Mustafa Ouda. In 2014 Ahmed was awarded an Arts Council grant to produce and write a play on the Syrian crisis, entitled Walaa – Loyalty. In 2015 Ahmed put on a production entitled The Shroud Maker at Amnesty International which has been stage read in 2016 by actor Maxine Peake and in 2017 by Kathryn Hunter.

          In May 2017, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Israeli Occupation in Gaza, West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gollan Heights, Ahmed put on a production in partnership with Amnesty International UK entitled Camouflage.

          Dr Diana Walters

          Diana works with museums and cultural heritage as tools of engagement, development and inclusion across many Cultural Heritage without Boarders programmes and activities. She has a PhD in museum studies and has a background in education, the heritage industry and research.

          David Feindouno

          David manages the Red Cross Refugee Support and International