Welcome to the website of the IDRC Research Chairs Network on Forced Displacement. The network is a collaborative project between thirteen research institutions around the world. This initiative is funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre and is supported by Carleton University.
Over the past three years, the IDRC-funded Network of 12 Research Chairs on forced displacement has grown into a platform for collaboration, visibility, and impact. In its first year, the focus was on building relationships and establishing trust among the Chairs. The second year shifted toward amplifying their presence on the global stage, while the third brought together diverse perspectives to explore how their collective efforts could shape regional and international responses to displacement.
Among the Network’s key achievements are its increased visibility, strategic coordination, and deepened cross-regional collaboration. Chairs have engaged in joint research, aligned agendas, and embraced comparative learning – enriching the field with insights grounded in both localized and transregional experiences. Furthermore, seed funding has sparked innovative partnerships.
Challenges persist, from limited time and resources to the difficulty of sustaining a shared vision across varied contexts. Political climates that criminalize refugees further complicate the work. However, the Network enters its fourth year with renewed purpose: to consolidate its progress, elevate knowledge from those most affected by displacement, and demonstrate the substantive value of Global South perspectives. For the upcoming year, sustainability is top of mind. Priorities include mentoring emerging scholars, reimagining universities as bridges between lived experience and policy spaces and nurturing the relationships that make this work possible.
