The IKEA Foundation has renewed its support for Oxford's Refugee-Led Research Hub (RLRH) , a pioneering initiative that helps people who have been affected by displacement to become leaders across the humanitarian sector.
The RLRH launched in 2020 to address the lack of refugee-authored scholarship and under-representation of refugees and displaced people in higher education, particularly at graduate level. By providing access to training, mentorship and funding, the RLRH aims to redistribute power and opportunity to researchers and students from displacement backgrounds so that they can challenge and change humanitarian policy for the benefit of future generations.
After providing crucial early funding for the RLRH, the IKEA Foundation has given an additional grant of £2 million to support the project as it expands its work with displaced scholars.
This grant will enable the RLRH team to increase the impact of two key steams of work: creating opportunities for researchers with a displacement background to lead primary and secondary research studies in the field of forced migration, from start to finish; and facilitating advanced graduate-level training and career placements for scholars who have been affected by forced displacement.
With the foundation's support, the project is forecasting over 7,000 engagements with its activities by refugees and others affected by displacement over the next three years.
Ghazal Sarah Salehi, Director of Partnerships at the Refugee-Led Research Hub, which is based at the University of Oxford's Refugee Studies Centre , said: 'We are excited to continue our partnership with the IKEA Foundation, who have provided critical support to RLRH for over four years. With their partnership, we've developed a pioneering roadmap for refugee leadership in academia, research and practice. Our global team will continue to encourage the humanitarian sector to be accountable to the people it serves, centring the voices and expertise of people with lived experience in response to displacement.'
Rediet Abiy Kassaye, Programme Manager at the IKEA Foundation in Leiden, The Netherlands, said: 'Supporting Oxford University's Refugee-Led Research Hub aligns with IKEA Foundation's mission to empower displaced individuals to become leaders in their communities. By investing in this initiative, we want to address the under-representation of researchers with displacement backgrounds and foster a new generation of scholars who can drive meaningful change in humanitarian policies and practices. We remain committed to creating opportunities for displaced individuals to lead and innovate, ensuring their voices shape a more inclusive and equitable future for all.'
Since its launch four years ago the hub has reached over 650 refugee and displaced learners around the world, with many graduates successfully progressing into professional and research careers. It has also set a strong example for other organisations in the fields of refugee livelihoods, humanitarian response and migration research to centre refugees as key actors of change.
RLRH Research Officer Mohamed Hassan explained the impact of the hub's work: 'Growing up in Kakuma [Refugee Camp], I never imagined that I would return to the camp as someone who could represent what is possible for displaced people. During the outreach visit, the young people saw themselves in me and it reinforced my belief that refugees need to be engaged or more meaningfully employed in humanitarian and development programming. […] for those who have experienced displacement, seeing someone with a shared background on the other side of the table is transformative.'
The IKEA Foundation focuses its grant making efforts on tackling the two biggest threats to children's futures: poverty and climate change. It currently grants more than €200 million per year to help improve family incomes and quality of life while protecting the planet from climate change. Since 2009 the IKEA Foundation has granted more than €1.5 billion to create a better future for children and their families. In 2021 the Board of the IKEA Foundation decided to make an additional €1 billion available over the next five years to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
The foundation is a generous supporter of the University, having also funded research into the socio-economic inclusion of refugees at the Refugee Studies Centre and the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group's efforts to align global finance and the environment .
