RSC 2014 Conference: Refugee Voices: Opening plenary – In search of solutions: refugees are doing it for themselves

Jeff Crisp was appointed to the position of Senior Director at Refugees International in Washington DC in September 2013. Previously, he served as Head of the Policy Development and Evaluation Service at the headquarters of UNHCR in Geneva, a position that he held since 2006. Dr Crisp has also held senior positions with the Global Commission on International Migration, where he served as Director of Policy and Research; the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian issues; and the British Refugee Council.

Dr Crisp has first-hand experience of refugee situations and humanitarian operations in more than 60 countries around the world, has published and lectured extensively on refugee, humanitarian, and migration issues, as well as African affairs, and was responsible for the publication of two editions of UNHCR’s flagship publication, 'The State of the World’s Refugees'. A volume of Dr Crisp's work has been published as an open-access e-book titled ‘Asylum, migration and humanitarian action: a collection of papers on refugee-related issues’.

Dr Crisp's most recent work has focused on the issues of refugee protection and solutions in urban areas, protracted refugee situations, the linkage between refugee protection and international migration, refugee return and reintegration, the gap between humanitarian relief and development aid, and the Syrian refugee crisis. A British national, he has a master’s degree and a PhD in African Studies and Political Science from the University of Birmingham.