Academia can act as a bridge between policy-makers and practitioners. In order to increase the impact of academic contribution to humanitarian action, strategic cooperation is imperative. Following up on the outcomes of the first regional roundtable on enhancing dialogue and partnership between academia and humanitarian actors held in Amman, UNHCR and Columbia Global Centers | Amman (Amman Center) have entered into a partnership as the first strategic regional collaboration between academia and UNHCR MENA.
On May 30, 2018 at 11:00 am, UNHCR’s Regional Director for MENA, Mr. Amin Awad and the Executive Vice President for Global Centers and Global Development at Columbia University, Professor Safwan M. Masri, officially signed the Memorandum of Understanding and opened a new chapter in collaborative efforts between UNHCR and Columbia Global Centers | Amman.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was followed by remarks by Mr. Amin Awad, on regional refugee crises including challenges and opportunities, and by Professor Safwan M. Masri, on the role of academia in humanitarian response and the significance of collaborations between academia and humanitarian agencies. The Impact of Separation on Refugee Families study was also presented during the remarks as the first example of operationalizing the agreement. The event ended with a brief question and answer session to allow attendees to address the panel.
The Amman Center aims to enhance public policy debates and disseminate knowledge that is accessible to policy-makers, media, research communities and the public. Regional collaboration between UNHCR and the Amman Center enables UNHCR MENA to better sensitize stakeholders, enhance advocacy, and strengthen the regional environment for refugee protection.
There have been a number of collaborative efforts between UNHCR and the Amman Center including a recently concluded independent study that evaluates the impact of separation on Syrian refugee families in Jordan, and the Second Regional Academia Roundtable on Enhancing Dialogue and Partnership between Academia and UNHCR on Regional Displacement Crises.
