Refugee Studies Centre

The Refugee Studies Centre (RSC) was established in 1982, as part of the University of Oxford’s Department of International Development (Queen Elizabeth House), in order to promote the understanding of the causes and consequences of forced migration and to improve the lives of some of the world’s most marginalised people. Its philosophy is to "combine world-class academic research with a commitment to improving the lives and situations for some of the world’s most disadvantaged people".

The RSC is regarded as one of the world’s leading centres for multidisciplinary research and teaching on the causes and consequences of forced migration. In 2002, the RSC was awarded a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in recognition of its pioneering research and innovative education, training and outreach programmes.

The Centre aims to approach the challenges of improving humanitarian performance and accountability and advancing the human rights of the displaced through a broad program of work organised around three interconnected activities.

The RSC is located at 3 Mansfield Road in Oxford, England.

The RSC carries out research on the causes and consequences of forced migration, with the emphasis on understanding the experiences of forced migration from the point of view of affected peoples. It is produced in cooperation with other academic institutions, particularly in developing countries. It incorporates different disciplines, including law, international relations, anthropology, political science and sociology.

The programme of research is organised around three broad areas. The first focuses on the political, economic and social contexts which are significant in understanding forced migration. The second area involves primarily anthropological, psychosocial and sociological research on the lived reality and experience and management of displacement. The third research area entails legal and political research on the development and implementation of laws and policies that relate to forced migrants.

The Masters or Science degree provided by the RSC places forced migration in a historical, global and human context, encouraging informed reflection on international and national responses to both internal and international displacement. The three-week International Summer School is for practitioners involved with assistance and policy making for refugees and internally displaced persons. The RSC’s short courses give participants the opportunity to receive additional professional training and develop expertise in particular refugee-related areas. Visiting Fellowships are available to senior practitioners and policymakers, post-graduate students, post-doctoral scholars and professional academics who wish to undertake a specific programme of self-directed study in an academic environment.

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