Our Programme

This think tank analyses the interrelated exploitation of human bodies and the environment in the context of war, conflict and global migration. Nature, conflict and migration are linked in many complex ways: social and political conflict is often an outcome of prolonged drought, resource extraction, agricultural distress and other human-induced or natural causes. These environmental and socio-political changes dictate many waves of migration and displacement – putting ‘illegal’ human bodies, including women and children, through extreme exploitative conditions of detention centres and labour camps. This think tank hopes to engage with the concept of exploitation in relation to domestic and international refugee law and climate migration.

Through this platform, we coordinate diverse expertise from researchers, advocates and policy-makers on issues of conflict and displacement. We work with researchers to bridge the gap between academia and policy in the areas of refugee law and migrants rights.

Fellows

Anisa Abeytia

Fellow

Anisa Abeytia is a research and policy professional with a background in humanitarian diplomacy. She worked with Congress, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to shape US – Syria policy, with a focus on domestic immigration.

Her research interests include: the social inclusion of Syrian refugees in Europe, the role of online platforms on the social inclusion of vulnerable populations in offline environments and access to socio-spatiality in the upward mobility of refugee populations.
She regularly presents her research internationally, most recently at the University of Cambridge. Her articles are published via national and international web based and print media, including a book chapter and policy briefs for UNESCO and The Hill. She is the recipient of a Student Forum Award (2019) from the American Sociological Society and an Emerging Scholar Grant from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, University of Indiana/Purdue.

Previously, Anisa operated a private practice as a clinical nutritionist in Dubai, specializing in utilizing the field of epigenetics to understand hypothyroidism and endocrine dysfunction. She is a published poet, former USC varsity rower and worked in Hollywood for the producer of the Godfather.

Alice Bzovii

Junior Fellow

LL.M

is a Romanian qualified attorney-at-law with more than ten years of legal experience in representing and assisting clients in commercial and civil law cases before Romanian national courts (various commercial contracts litigations, negotiations, property litigation etc.). In the last few years she has gained an academic background in international arbitration, investment treaty arbitration, international energy law through master of law programs, participation in several international arbitration and energy conferences, and webinars (ICC-YAF, PwC Romania, ICC, LCIA, ICDR, SIAC, Delos, AIPN, etc.). She holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Arbitration from the University of Bucharest, Romania; a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Investment Treaty Arbitration from the University of Uppsala, Sweden; and a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Energy Law with Professional Skills from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, the UK.

Bava Dharani

Junior Fellow

Lead for GRN Think Tank Programme in War, Conflict & Global Migration

Bava Dharani completed her LLB and LLM in SOAS, UOL. She is currently pursuing the LPC at BPP University. Bava is interested in the Indian indenture history in Singapore and Malaysia, and the parallels and differences this labour movement bears to modern day migrant workers’ movement chains. Previously, Bava worked as a paralegal in Singapore, specialising in criminal, civil and employment law.

Samaya Argüello

Fellow

PhD Candidate, MPub&IntLaw, GDLP, LLB, BA (Asian Studies), BA (Hons)
Lead for GRN Think Tank Programme in War, Conflict, and Global Migration

As an admitted and practising lawyer and academic with research and teaching areas of interest in criminology and law, including terrorism, AI and IHL, human rights and media/cinema. With a strong research background, Maya’s doctoral focus is on incursions of international law and human rights through cinematic and media depictions of terrorism.

Maya is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Junior Fellow of the Global Research Network for exceptional early career scholars ​around the world working ​in law and in the humanities as well as a research member of AVERT (Addressing Violent Extremism and Radicalisation to Terrorism) Research Network. She is also a member of the Australian Film Institute / Australia Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AFI/ACCTA) and publishes regular film and literature views with various organisations and journals

Associates

Dr. Matilda Arvidsson

Associate

BA, LLM, LLD

Matilda Arvidsson is a researcher in law and theory at the University of Gothenburg, where she teaches migration law, jurisprudence, and international law. Her expertise and research interests are interdisciplinary and include international humanitarian law, artificial intelligence (AI) and law, as well as the embodiment of law in its various forms. She holds a LLM in Jurisprudence, a LLD in International Law, as well as a BS in political science (Lund University).