Alice Neikirk
Visiting Fellow
Dr. Alice Neikirk is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Newcastle’s School of Law and Justice. She holds a PhD in Anthropology from the Australian National University and brings a strong interdisciplinary perspective to her research. Her research focuses on how people understand and interact with legal frameworks and institutions. She is particularly interested in the ways that legal design with communities from migration backgrounds can support informed decision making.
Dr Neikirk’s research in Nepal and Australia examines the lived experiences of Bhutanese refugees across the resettlement process as they navigate a myriad of laws, policy frameworks, and normative values. It culminated in her monograph The Elephant Has Two Sets of Teeth: Bhutanese Refugees and Humanitarian Governance. She has published widely in leading journals, including the Journal of Refugee Studies, the Journal of Human Trafficking, and State Crime Journal. She co-founded the Newcastle Migration Research Network in 2023, fostering collaboration among academics, practitioners, and individuals with lived refugee experience. In addition to her scholarship on displacement and migration, Dr. Neikirk’s research explores restorative justice and legal aid.