Visiting Fellowships
About Visiting Fellowships
The Visiting Fellowship programme is designed for professional academics, post-doctoral scholars, independent non-academic researchers, and PhD (DPhil) students working on topics related to forced migration. Fellows join a world-leading research centre dedicated to building knowledge and understanding of forced migration in order to help improve the lives of some of the world's most vulnerable people.
During the fellowship, participants pursue a programme of self-directed research under the guidance of an assigned academic advisor. Fellows can attend the core seminar series of the MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies and the RSC Public Seminar Series. They also gain full access to the University of Oxford’s academic resources - including seminars, libraries, and the RSC Library, which holds the world’s largest collection of unpublished literature on refugee and forced migration studies.
Find out about the latest cohort of Visiting Fellows here.
Please note:
An RSC Visiting Fellow has no official affiliation to the University of Oxford and the association is designed for a period of independent, self-directed research work. It is not a training course, nor is it applicable for people wishing to apply for a student visa to study on a course.
Visiting Fellow Categories
There are three categories of Visiting Fellow:
- Visiting Research Fellows
Visiting Research Fellows are senior academics, postdoctoral researchers and other specialists coming to Oxford to pursue research, and with the department as their main link with the University. Research fellowships are normally held for one term of the Oxford academic year, with the possibility of extension for up to two more terms. - Visiting Study Fellows
Visiting Study Fellows are in general independent or freelance non-academic researchers, practitioners or policymakers. These are normally held for one term of the Oxford academic year, with the possibility of extension for up to two more terms. - Student visitors (PhD/DPhil students)
For doctoral students, the maximum period of affiliation is usually one term.
Testimonials
Synne Dyvik, Associate Professor In International Relations, University of Sussex,
Visiting Fellow Michaelmas Term 2024
"I was fortunate enough to spend a sabbatical term away from my normal role as an Associate Professor at the University of Sussex as a Visiting Fellow at RSC during Michaelmas 2024. This time was spent working on my co-authored book (with Gabrielle Daoust, UNBC), Humanitarianism in the Home: Hosting-at-Home and the Politics of Hospitality (forthcoming, Routledge). The book focuses on the global practice of hosting displaced persons in private homes and understands this as a form of ‘everyday humanitarianism’.
RSC provided the perfect welcoming setting for me to research and write, and I have learned so much from it. I would like to mention in particular my sponsor, Tom Scott-Smith as well as Jeff Crisp both of whom have been very welcoming and supportive of my project. The book has no doubt improved from the discussions, advice and recommendations offered by them. In addition, with help from the excellent Sarah Rhodes and other staff at the Social Science Library, I was able to find valuable resources in the RSC archive that would otherwise have been unavailable to me. While of course Oxford is an excellent place for anyone to spend a few months thinking, reading, and writing, I would highly recommend this fellowship. The collegial and supportive environment of RSC, the seminars open to VFs, the facilities and research support offered, as well as the relationships formed are invaluable."
Serde Atalay, PhD Candidate, Lund University,
Visiting Fellow Trinity Term 2025
"I visited the Refugee Studies Centre as a fellow for two months during Trinity term 2025. These two months were most enjoyable and productive. During my time at the Centre, I worked on finalising my doctoral dissertation entitled ‘Right to Access Housing for Migrants and Refugees: An Inquiry into the Unfulfilled Promises of International Law’. My stay in Oxford provided me with the fresh perspectives, rich resources, and deep focus that I needed to finish the two last substantive chapters of my thesis. I thoroughly enjoyed the active research environment of the Centre. My conversations with the other visiting fellows and researchers at the Centre were always pleasant and informative. I benefited particularly from my interactions with Tom Scott-Smith. My sponsor, Catherine Briddick, was so kind to spare her valuable time to give me detailed feedback on my written work which proved indispensable for me going forward. The charming and fascinating city that it is, Oxford itself was a source of inspiration for my intellectual endeavours. I particularly enjoyed discovering the many wonderful libraries of the university. The Social Science Library played a particularly important role for my research and writing. Without hesitation, I would recommend visiting the Refugee Studies Centre as a fellow to anyone who is considering it."
Natasha Yacoub, PhD candidate, University of New South Wales,
Visiting Fellow Trinity Term 2024
" I came to the RSC in Trinity Term 2024. Having worked for the RSC’s Founding Director, it was special to return to the vibrant academic setting at Oxford University. A lively exchange with scholars from different disciplines and diverse backgrounds provided important new perspectives on my own research. Visiting from the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at the University of New South Wales, I worked on my doctoral dissertation entitled: ‘Voluntary repatriation in international refugee law: a gender-sensitive approach’. My sponsor, Professor Catherine Briddick, was incredibly supportive with her time and valuable feedback on my research. Under her guidance, I finalised a chapter for the forthcoming Oxford Handbook on Women and International Law on ‘Re-Centring Humanity in International Migration Law: Feminist Care Ethics’. I am honoured to have contributed to this Handbook that I believe contributes to scholarship reigniting feminist approaches to international law. I also co-authored with Madeline Gleeson ‘Offshore Processing in Australia’ for a series of articles on Externalising Asylum. I recommend the Visiting Fellowship not only for the beautiful environment at Queen Elizabeth House but for the rich and deep connections with diverse scholars which will continue after the Fellowship ends."
Barbara Moser-Mercer, Professor Emerita, University of Geneva,
Visiting Fellow Michaelmas Term 2023
"Having spent over a decade on research and programme implementation in Higher Education in Emergencies in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan, I found that my time as a Visiting Fellow at the Refugee Studies Centre provided the perfect environment and an ideal opportunity for reflecting on the interface between academia and the humanitarian sector. The transition from the daily urgencies of humanitarian action to the calm and quiet of the Social Science Library was as jolting as my previous transition from the cognitive neuroscience laboratory to humanitarian contexts had been. Combing through box after box of the RSC holdings unearthed gems of historical documents about higher education in refugee contexts that afforded me more than a glimpse of how those who had come before me envisioned sustainable tertiary education solutions for forcibly displaced youth. During my time at the RSC the structure and chapter outlines of my book on Higher Education in Emergencies took shape, with our work-in progress seminars contributing valuable feedback as well as additional research dimensions from RSC professors, students, and other Visiting Research Fellows. As it is nearly impossible to divorce oneself entirely from humanitarian programme implementation, I continue to work on my book and look forward to continued interaction with colleagues at the RSC."