HUMANITARIAN COLLABORATIVE
ABOUT THE HUMANITARIAN COLLABORATIVE
WORKING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES
Around the world, more than hundreds of millions of people in over 70 countries need global humanitarian assistance each year. Finding ways to improve prevention, response, and mitigation is critical. In response, the Humanitarian Collaborative at the University of Virginia brings together scholars, practitioners, university students, and community
partners to address the world’s pressing humanitarian and development challenges. We conduct applied interdisciplinary research, engage in real-time analysis and assessment, and provide strategic recommendations.
If you are interested in working with us or hearing more about our work, please fill out this interest form.
THEMATIC AREAS
The Humanitarian Collaborative’s applied, interdisciplinary work is organized around thematic areas, which are designed to understand, explore, and develop solutions to pressing challenges. In each of these themes, we partner with global and local policy and operational organizations and individuals to take a lead in developing strategies, standards, and policies.
HIGHLIGHTS
Click here to stay up to date on all projects and events the Humanitarian Collaborative is involved in.
Featuring HC Early Career Fellow Rachel Mulvaney (BA ’26)
Rachel Mulvaney (BA ’26) is using her 2026 Early Career Humanitarian Collaborative Fellowship to support her work with Leadership Mission International (LMI), an organization dedicated to developing the next generation of women …
Refugee Researcher Spotlight: Mubarak Ricky on Trust in Community-Based Research
Mubarak Ricky worked with the Humanitarian Collaborative as a researcher in Jordan, bringing both professional experience and lived experience of displacement to the evaluation team. Q: What was most meaningful …
Refugee Researcher Spotlight: Faisal Jarmi on Lived Experience in Humanitarian Research
Faisal Jarmi worked with the Humanitarian Collaborative as a researcher in Lebanon, supporting qualitative interviews, participant discussions, transcription, and analysis. Q: What was most meaningful to you about working on …
Refugee Researcher Spotlight: Saadiah Abdullah on Children’s Voices and Storytelling
Saadiah Abdullah worked with the Humanitarian Collaborative as part of the research team, contributing to work with refugee communities and children. Q: What was most meaningful to you about working …
HC Partners with Refugee Researchers in Jordan and Lebanon
Over the past two years, the Humanitarian Collaborative has partnered with refugee researchers in Jordan and Lebanon on an evaluation of mental health and psychosocial support programs for refugees through …
HC Supports UVA Students in Field Training on Global Disaster and Conflict
This semester, 12 UVA students completed LPPL 5999: Leadership in Global Disaster and Conflict, an immersive course taught in conjunction with the UVA Humanitarian Collaborative. Sponsored by the Batten National Security Policy …
Featuring HC Early Career Fellow Jaida Hotmire (MPP ‘26)
Jaida Hotmire (MPP ’26) is using her 2026 Early Career Humanitarian Collaborative Fellowship to translate her studies in human rights, international development, corporate social responsibility, and anti-trafficking policy into real-world change. Next …
Humanitarian Collaborative Highlights Talk on Displacement, Exile, and Resistance
On April 6, Omid Tofighian, an award-winning lecturer, researcher, translator, and community advocate whose work centers on critical border studies and new philosophies of resistance, will lead an open discussion. Hosted …
Humanitarian Collaborative Co-Hosts Merrick Lecture on the Economics of Immigration
The Humanitarian Collaborative, in partnership with the University of Virginia’s Department of Economics and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, will co-host the Merrick Lecture featuring …
HC Co-Authors Article on Children’s Perspectives in Post-Earthquake Container Camps in Türkiye
A new article published in Child & Youth Services explores how children living in container camps in Hatay, Türkiye, understand their daily lives following the February 2023 earthquakes. The study …
Humanitarian Collaborative Hosts Student Coffee Chat with Save the Children Expert
The Humanitarian Collaborative hosted a small-group coffee chat with Hanzade Germiyanoglu, Advisor in the Department of Humanitarian Response at Save the Children US and an international development professional with more …
“The Way We See It” Exhibition Centers Children’s Perspectives After the Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes
The Way We See It, a new exhibition on display on the second floor of UVA’s Shannon Library through January 2027, presents photographs taken by children living in container camps …
Humanitarian Collaborative Co-Hosts “When Children Speak, We Learn” Film Screening and Conversation
The Humanitarian Collaborative co-hosted an online film screening and conversation featuring children in Colombia and Venezuela. When Children Speak, We Learn centered on a core premise: no decisions about children …
Humanitarian Collaborative Launches Let’s Talk: Faith and Aid Podcast Series
The Humanitarian Collaborative has launched Let’s Talk: Faith and Aid, a limited-series podcast examining the often underexplored role of faith in humanitarian action. At a moment of deep uncertainty …
HC Co-Authors Young Children in Crisis Case Study Series with Brookings
The Humanitarian Collaborative co-authored two case studies in the “Young Children in Crisis: Centering Child Voices in Humanitarian Contexts” case-study series published by the Center for Universal Education at the …
Humanitarian Collaborative at Brookings Event on Supporting Young Children in Crisis
On December 1, the Humanitarian Collaborative will participate in an event exploring the challenges to and opportunities for better supporting young children in crisis situations. The event “Young Children in Crisis: …
HC Advises on Improved Humanitarian Response Through Participatory Processes
The Humanitarian Collaborative advised on participatory practices to improve the quality of humanitarian response at two conferences in Istanbul, Turkey in October. For the International Humanitarian Studies Association annual conference, …
HC Leads Global Conversation on Future of Humanitarian Studies
The Humanitarian Collaborative was invited to Bergen, Norway, to co-lead a series of discussions with the University of Groningen at the International Humanitarian Studies Association Conference. Bringing together faculty, lecturers, …
HC Student and Practitioner Fellow Publish with UN Centre for Humanitarian Data
Humanitarian Collaborative summer research student Cosette Cordova and Practitioner Fellow Kate Katch recently published a piece with the United Nations Centre for Humanitarian Data. Their article, “How HDX and Sauti …
New Course: Leadership and Policy Challenges in Global Disaster and Conflict
This spring, UVA students have the opportunity to enroll in Leadership and Policy Challenges in Global Disaster and Conflict (LPPP 5559), a practical, experience-based course designed to prepare future policymakers for …
UN Humanitarian Fund Internships Now Open
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is recruiting five interns to join the team managing the UN’s global humanitarian fund, the Central Emergency Response …
HC Joins UNGA Event on Early Years Policy Solutions
The Humanitarian Collaborative attended the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. To inform a new project on key elements and pathways to effectively scale …
HC Co-Sponsoring Film Screening for Welcoming Greater Charlottesville Welcoming Week 2025
As part of Welcoming Greater Charlottesville’s Welcoming Week 2025, the Humanitarian Collaborative is co-sponsoring a screening of the short film Running to Stand Still. The documentary addresses the humanitarian crisis …
Humanitas Application Cycle Open
Humanitas, UVA’s undergraduate journal of human rights, is now accepting applications for writers and editors for the Fall 2025 semester. The journal provides students with a collaborative scholarly space to …
Storytelling and Data for Humanitarian Impact
Under the guidance of Humanitarian Collaborative Co-Director Kirsten Gelsdorf and Practitioner Fellows Kate Katch and Jule Voss, students Cosette Cordova (BA), Lara Howell (BA), and Sanjana Jaiswal (BA) have been …
Centering Participation and Marginalized Voices in Humanitarian Research
Led by Co-Director of the Humanitarian Collaborative Lucy Bassett and Practitioner Fellow Charles Bradley, students Gabi Bartlett (MPP) and Grace Shawah (MPP) have spent the summer advancing participatory research that …
Scaling Impact Through Strategic Consulting
Humanitarian Collaborative Alumni Practitioner Fellow Melissa (Missy) Boucher, along with students Elisabeth Doty (MPP), Kate Hatley (BA), and Grace Theriot (BA), have teamed up through Boucher Impact Co., Missy’s …
Feminist Resourcing in Humanitarian Action
Humanitarian Collaborative Practitioner Fellows Jeanne Ward, Sara Abbas, and Amel Gorani, along with students Allaire Tetrault (MPP), Phoebe Helms (MPP), and Lauren Yeboah-Kodie (MPP), are advancing a feminist approach to …
Advancing Humanitarian Risk Modeling Across Southern Africa
Humanitarian Collaborative Practitioner Fellow Mark Slezak and students Kendall Hyer (BA), Hiba Khan (BA), and Pacific Rwanika (MPP) have been exploring ways to support disaster preparedness and response across Southern …
Exploring Technology’s Role in Humanitarian Response
This summer, a team from the Humanitarian Collaborative’s Summer Cohort—comprising Alumni Practitioner Fellows Madison Cohen, Baillie McNitt, and Anna Grace Calhoun, as well as students Chiara Purificato (MPP), …
Celebrating Promising Changes for Refugees on World Refugee Day
To mark this year’s World Refugee Day, the Humanitarian Collaborative co-published a blog with Amna, a refugee-founded and refugee-led organization. With escalating conflicts, climate crises, and economic instability amid …
Stories of Migration and Adjustment – Venezuelan Children Share Their Own Perspectives
For World Refugee Day, the Humanitarian Collaborative published a blog with the Moving Minds Alliance, a multi-stakeholder alliance focused on early childhood development in crisis response. The blog shares insights …
Storytelling Workshop
As part of the Humanitarian Collaborative’s Summer Cohort, Practitioner Fellow Kate Katch led an interactive workshop focused on using storytelling to influence decision-makers. The session emphasized the strategic value …
HC Summer Cohort Launches
In response to the rapidly shifting humanitarian landscape—marked by declining donor contributions, disrupted U.S. foreign assistance, and widespread job losses across the sector—the Humanitarian Collaborative launched a …
International Congress on the Healing Role of Play
Humanitarian Collaborative’s Co-Director and Professor of Practice Lucy Bassett presented at a conference in Istanbul, Turkey, “The Developmental and Healing Role of Play,” hosted by Uskudar University. Her talk, …
Featuring HC Operations Intern Sanny Yang (MPP ‘25)
Sanny Yang served as the Operations Intern at the Humanitarian Collaborative during the 2024-2025 academic year while pursuing her Masters of Public Policy at the UVA Frank Batten School of …
The Unseen Battleground: A Life’s Work on Violence Against Women in Global Humanitarian Crises
Jeanne Ward, Practitioner Fellow at the Humanitarian Collaborative, reflected on her 25-year career addressing violence against women (VAW) as part of the monthly “Batesvillians – in their own words” series. Drawing …
Batten students collaborate with alumnus at World Bank on Poverty & Equity Briefs
Two Batten MPP students, Mikayla Havison and Alvin Tran Nguyen, partnered with Batten alum Cameron Haddad (MPP ’19) to edit the World Bank’s Poverty and Equity Brief series. These country-level …
Trust in Institutions Affects Vaccination Campaign Outcomes
The Humanitarian Collaborative contributed to a newly published article in Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. To explore whether trust in institutions affects vaccination campaign outcomes, …
A Deportation Boomerang? Evidence from U.S. Removals to Latin America and the Caribbean
The Humanitarian Collaborative contributed to a newly published article in Demography. Politicians argue that an increased risk of deportation will deter subsequent irregular migration. The authors explore this argument for …
HC and Brookings Institution blog on children’s participation
Lucy Bassett of the Humanitarian Collaborative co-authored a blog with the Brookings Institution called “Young children’s participation: Ways to engage and what’s needed to do it well.” There …
Welcoming Our New Research Assistants
Emilia Garcia and Gabriella Bartlett joined the Humanitarian Collaborative in Spring 2025 as Research Assistants. They have been developing a curriculum guide for educators in both the United States and Latin …
Transformative Leadership in Times of Polycrisis
Humanitarian Collaborative Practitioner Fellows Sara Abbas and Amel Gorani participated in the Humanitarian Leadership Conference with the theme: “Transformative leadership in times of polycrisis” in Doha, Qatar. The conference was …
HC joins Brookings Institution symposium “Centering young people’s voice and agency in and through research and policy”
The Humanitarian Collaborative is presenting at the Brookings Institution’s annual symposium on education systems transformation. Children and youth are essential to developing solutions that affect their lives. Centering children …
US Immigration Policy in Real Time
Professor David Leblang’s course, titled “US Immigration Policy in Real Time,” engages students in the active analysis of immigration policies as they unfold. Through discussions with policymakers and practitioners …
Uplifting Young Children’s Voices for Social Change
The Humanitarian Collaborative participated in a panel at the 2025 Comparative International Education Society (CIES) conference, highlighting innovative, tech-enabled approaches to amplifying young children’s voices in crisis settings. Showcasing participatory …
HC meets with UVA International Relations Organization
The Humanitarian Collaborative engaged in a meaningful discussion with the UVA International Relations Organization (IRO). The conversation centered on development and humanitarian aid in a time of dramatic change, exploring …
Touchstones of Democracy Series
The Humanitarian Collaborative is participating in the Nau Lab’s “Touchstones of Democracy” series, produced by the Karsh Institute of Democracy. The event titled, “Empowering Democratic Inclusion in a Globalized …
Visual Research Methods with Migrant and Refugee Families
The Humanitarian Collaborative led a methodological workshop on Visual Research Methods with Migrant and Refugee Families in partnership with the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility at the New School, …
Global Perspectives on COVID-19 Vaccination
The Humanitarian Collaborative contributed to a newly published study in Vaccine, a leading peer-reviewed journal on immunization research. Titled “Global perspectives on COVID-19 vaccination: Impacts on well-being and inequality,” this …
MOU with UNICEF’s Office of Research, Innocenti
The Humanitarian Collaborative just signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UNICEF’s Office of Research, Innocenti. This will facilitate collaboration to advance research and policy dialogue on children’s development …
Türkiye Earthquake: Children’s Vision for a Better Future
Two years after devastating earthquakes in Türkiye, 1 in 4 children who were displaced by the earthquake remain in temporary shelters, such as shipping containers, and cannot access sufficient basic services. …
Humanitarian Horizons Series: Migration in the Americas
The Humanitarian Collaborative is excited to announce the next Humanitarian Horizons Series, “Global Migration and Development,” featuring a special opportunity to enjoy lunch with Ricardo Zuniga, Founding Partner of Diná …
Welcoming Practitioner Fellow Charles Bradley
The Humanitarian Collaborative is excited to welcome Practitioner Fellow Dr. Charles Bradley! Dr. Bradley first joined the Humanitarian Collaborative as a student back in 2019, and we are happy to see …
Humanitarian Horizons Series: Student Testimonials
For our latest Humanitarian Horizons Series, four UVA students met with Ambassador Satterfield to discuss and learn about foreign policy and diplomacy. Two students, Pacific Rwanika and Katherine Hu, share …
Apply to UVA Global Internships
UVA Global InternshipsSUMMER 2025 programs Want to study abroad but also need to do an internship this coming summer? UVA Global Internships programs offer an unbeatable opportunity to combine …
HC Conducts Review of Remote ECD Services
The Humanitarian Collaborative conducted a review of remote approaches to supporting young children’s learning and development in collaboration with Sesame Workshop. We undertook a systematic review of the literature …
Humanitarian Horizons Series: Breakfast with a Diplomat
The Humanitarian Collaborative is excited to announce the next Humanitarian Horizons Series, “Breakfast with a Diplomat,” featuring a special opportunity to enjoy breakfast with Ambassador David Satterfield, Director of the …
Welcome to Our New Undergraduate Research Assistants
The Humanitarian Collaborative is excited to welcome three new undergraduate research assistants to the Read for Action: Humanitarian Book Club project! Sanjana Jaiswal, Pratha Purushottam, and Mary Holland Mason joined …
Humanitarian Horizons Series: Exploring Issues in Global Education
The Humanitarian Collaborative is excited to announce the next Humanitarian Horizons Series, titled “Exploring Issues in Global Education.” Lucy Bassett, co-Director of the Humanitarian Collaborative and Professor of Practice at …
Read for Action at Devex 2024
How fiction can reshape the way we think about aidCan fiction help us rethink the toughest global challenges? We often struggle to frame solutions for the growing complexities of poverty, …
CGWI African Studies Colloquium: Dr. Bwa Mwesigire
The Humanitarian Collaborative is co-sponsoring the Carter G. Woodson Institute (CGWI) African Studies Colloquium under the Read for Action project. The colloquium will feature Dr. Bwa Mwesigire, Assistant Professor of …
Artsakh Uprooted: Aftermaths of Displacement
Micheline Aharonian Marcom, one of Humanitarian Collaborative’s faculty, will be participating in the Institute of Armenian Studies’ day-long symposium, Artsakh Uprooted: Aftermaths of Displacement, on Saturday, November 2, 2024 at USC’ …
Humanitarian Horizons Series: Careers in Humanitarian Policy
Please join us for the first of the roundtable series, “Humanitarian Horizons Series: Careers in Humanitarian Policy,” hosted by Professor Gelsdorf, Professor of Practice in Public Policy and Co-Director of …
The Humanitarian Collaborative Launches Humanitarian Horizons Series
The Humanitarian Collaborative is excited to announce the launch of the Humanitarian Horizons Series. The objective with this roundtable series is to provide a space for engagement and open dialogue …
First Annual Crozet Book Fest
Join the first annual Crozet Book Fest presented by Bluebird & Co, on October 26, 2024, to celebrate fall book releases. Professor Kirsten Gelsdorf of the Humanitarian Collaborative will moderate an event …
Read for Action Workshop at DEVEX 2024
Can fiction help us rethink the toughest global challenges? Bruce Holsinger, acclaimed author of The Displacements, along with the cofounders of Read for Action: The Humanitarian Book Club will host …
HC leads the evaluation of a new program implemented by Amna
Over the next two years, the Humanitarian Collaborative will be leading the evaluation of a new program in Jordan and Lebanon that provides funding, training, and support to 10 organizations working …
Hearing from children affected by earthquakes in Turkey
The Humanitarian Collaborative led a participatory project with young children displaced by the 2023 Turkey earthquakes in partnership with Save the Children. Children aged 5-11 from Turkish and Syrian backgrounds living …
Feminist Approaches to Humanitarian Action
A Guidance Note on Applying Feminist Approaches to Humanitarian Action was published in July 2024. This paper explores the potential of feminist principles to enhance humanitarian systems in addressing key priorities. …
Child-Centered Photovoice Project
The 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye devastated millions, leaving children particularly vulnerable as they continue to live in temporary shelters under challenging conditions. The Child-Centered Photovoice Project empowers children aged 5-10 …
Webinar on Climate-Driven Child Mobility Data
Date: Wednesday, 18 September 2024Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM EST The International Data Alliance for Children on the Move (IDAC), in collaboration with UNICEF Innocenti –Global Office of Research and Foresight, UNICEF’s …
Immigration and Elections: Global Implications for 2024
Recently, immigration has ranked number one—even surpassing the economy—as the topic that most concerns voters when they consider whom to support in the U.S. presidential election. Migration …
Compassion in Global Action
As the world grows increasingly polarized, and economic, environmental and other societal challenges grow increasingly complex, future leaders will need to draw from ever-deeper sources of understanding and compassion to …
Humanitarian Collaborative Fellowship at World Food Program-USA
The UVA Humanitarian Collaborative has established the Batten Humanitarian Collaborative Fellowship program that connects two students from the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy (one graduate and one undergraduate) …
“Photovoice” Project in Turkey
Lucy Bassett, associate professor of practice at the Batten School and co-director of UVA’s Humanitarian Collaborative, and alumna Makayla Palazzo (MPP ’18), advocacy and communications director with Save the Children, …
Young Children in Humanitarian and COVID-19 Crises
Book Launch Event: March 19th, 2024 The long-term consequences of COVID-19 have been tough for children around the world, but even more so for young children already in humanitarian crises, whether …
Forced Migration and Agent-Based Approaches
Joined by leaders in the field of migration and displacement, David Leblang writes about forced migration in Ukraine using agent-based frameworks and models. “A Generalized Theory-Driven Agent-Based Framework” was published …
Read for Action: ‘A Passage North’ Webinar
Event: December 1, 2024 – 12 pm EST Join us on Friday, December 1 for a discussion on A Passage North with panelists Anuk Arudpragasam, Rebecca Vetharaniam Richards, and Patrick Deer, moderated by Adrienne Ghaly! …
How Much Good Can $100 Million Do? Sesame Street and IRC Put a Big Bet to the Test
To meet world humanitarian needs like food, shelter, and medicine would require $54.8 billion a year, according to recent projections by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of …
A Smart and Humane Answer on Immigration
CNN — A humanitarian crisis has pushed more than 7 million people to leave Venezuela over the past decade, some settling in South and Central America and others coming to the US. …
UVA Community Responds to Libyan Humanitarian Crisis With Hearts and Minds
A Humanitarian Crisis Unfolds Libya is dealing with a new crisis on top of multiple older ones, noted Kirsten Gelsdorf, a professor who worked with the UN Office for the …
Read for Action: Kickoff Event
Event: October 2nd, 2024 – 12 PM EST Join Read for Action: The Humanitarian Book Club (a partnership between the Humanitarian Collaborative and UN OCHA) as they kickoff their reading period and discuss …
How to Stay Optimistic in an Age of Crisis
International Rescue Committee President David Miliband discusses humanitarian action today and how to find hope in our current moment of crisis. Milliband outlines a solutions-driven, action-oriented approach to propel the humanitarian sector forward.
Child Migration and Displacement in LAC: Aligning Evidence-based Solutions and Research Priorities
The University of Virginia’s (UVA) Democracy Initiative (DI) and Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy’s Global Policy Centre (GPC) and UNICEF Innocenti (Innocenti) partnered to hold …