Interdisciplinary Program in Forced Displacement Studies

The Interdisciplinary Program for Forced Displacement Studies (IPFDStudies) provides students with the opportunity to participate in ongoing, established efforts in Uganda, Colombia, and Lebanon to respond to forced displacement. We partner and work directly with universities, local NGO’s, and multiple government institutions and policymakers on the ground, to give our students a unique opportunity to recognize the many challenges and identify opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of displaced populations in each country.

The IPFD sessions abroad run for approximately 3 weeks and include lectures, seminars, and workshops with local experts, officials, and organizations serving displaced populations. The program, working closely with partners on the ground, also provides students with a first-hand opportunity to see and analyze the complex social, environmental, and infrastructural challenges faced by communities that have been forcibly displaced from their homes. IPFD provides opportunities for students and faculty to share challenges and experiences from the US with partner countries, with the goal of connecting academic learning to practice in activism and policymaking. Through our strong partnerships, we offer international, interdisciplinary collaboration and allow students to learn from their peers and faculty from different universities while thinking practically about solutions to some of the most complex humanitarian challenges we face today.  Students participating in this program will acquire a deeper understanding of research methodologies and appreciate the political, economic, social, and technological challenges associated with creating solutions for populations that have been forcibly displaced from their homes.