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Alexander Betts is Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs, William Golding Senior Fellow in Politics at
Brasenose College Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the m ...
, and Associate Head (Graduate and Research Training) of the Social Sciences Division at the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
. Betts is recognized for his extensive research on the political economy of refugee assistance and has been influential in shaping policy and debates on global migration governance


Academic career

Betts was born in
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
in the Southwest of the United Kingdom. He completed his undergraduate degree at
Durham University Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...
. He then completed an MSc at
Bristol University The University of Bristol is a public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Bristol, which had ...
, followed by an
MPhil A Master of Philosophy (MPhil or PhM; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. The name of the degree is most often abbreviated MPhil (or, at times, as PhM in other countries). MPhil are awarded to postgraduate students after completing at least ...
and
DPhil A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...
from the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
. His doctoral thesis, completed in under 18 months while working at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, examined the conditions under which international cooperation can address protracted refugee situations. His thesis won the Winchester Prize for best DPhil in International Relations and this work was later published as ''Protection by Persuasion: International Cooperation in the Refugee Regime'' (2009). He was appointed Rose Junior Research Fellow in International Relations at
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England, located on a bank of the River Cherwell at Norham Gardens in north Oxford and adjacent to the University Parks. The ...
in 2006, before becoming
Hedley Bull Hedley Norman Bull (10 June 1932 – 18 May 1985) was Professor of International Relations at the Australian National University, the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford until his death from cancer in 1985. He was Montague ...
Research Fellow in International Relations at
Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street, Oxford, Broad Street and Parks Road ...
, between 2007 and 2010. He then spent a year as a post-doc at
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), before becoming Associate Professor in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies in the
Oxford Department of International Development The Oxford Department of International Development (ODID), or Queen Elizabeth House (QEH), is a department of the University of Oxford in England, and a unit of the University’s Social Sciences Division. It is the focal point at Oxford for m ...
at the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
in 2011. He became Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs in 2015. He was Director of the
Refugee Studies Centre The Refugee Studies Centre (RSC) was established in 1982, as part of the University of Oxford's Department of International Development (Queen Elizabeth House), in order to promote the understanding of the causes and consequences of forced migrati ...
between 2014 and 2017. In 2019, he was appointed Associate Head (Graduate and Research Training) of the Social Sciences Division at the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
, also becoming Director of the
Economic and Social Research Council The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), formerly the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) funded by the UK government. ESRC provides fundi ...
's 'Grand Union' Doctoral Training Partnership, which includes
Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
,
Open University The Open University (OU) is a Public university, public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by List of universities in the United Kingdom by enrolment, number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate ...
, and
Brunel University London Brunel University of London (BUL) is a Public university, public Research universities, research university located in the Uxbridge area of London, England. It is named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a Victorian era, Victorian engineer and pione ...
. Since 2017, he has led the Refugee Economies Programme at the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
, which is funded by the
IKEA Foundation The IKEA Foundation is a Dutch not-for-profit organisation founded in 1982 by Ingvar Kamprad as a means to support advancement in interior design and architecture. In 2009, the Foundation's charter was expanded to benefit vulnerable children. I ...
, which supports the socio-economic inclusion of refugees through a longitudinal study following the economic lives of 16,000 refugees and host community members in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. In 2021, he co-founded the Oxford SDG Impact Lab, which supports students from across
Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
to collaborate with business to deliver the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
Sustainable Development Goals The ''2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'', adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet" – wh ...
. He also co-created the Refugee-Led Research Hub in
Nairobi, Kenya Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a reference to the Nairobi Riv ...
which supports aspiring researchers with lived experience of displacement to become leaders in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies.


Research

Most of his research is on refugees in world politics. He is centrally concerned with the question of what makes the global refugee system effective, and on reconciling the tension between national interests and refugee rights. Under what conditions are nation-states willing to protect, assist, and integrate refugees? What is the role of international institutions in influencing the behaviour of states? And what role do refugees themselves play as actors within the refugee system? The other strand of his work focuses on the relationship between
international development International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic development, economic or human development (economics), human development on an international sca ...
and
forced displacement Forced displacement (also forced migration or forced relocation) is an involuntary or coerced movement of a person or people away from their home or home region. The UNHCR defines 'forced displacement' as follows: displaced "as a result of perse ...
, exploring the socio-economic integration of refugees within host countries. What explains the variation in refugees' welfare outcomes? What shapes host community attitudes towards refugees? What explains the mobility and migration choices of refugees? Much of this research has taken place in
East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...
. Betts' main research monographs are: ''Protection by Persuasion: International Cooperation in the Refugee Regime'' (Cornell University Press, 2009), explores the history of responsibility-sharing in the global refugee regime. Theoretically, it identifies the cooperation problem in the refugee regime as being a 'suasion game' in which bargaining is characterized by asymmetric power relations between Northern donor/resettlement states and Southern host states. It argues that this North-South impasse has sometimes been overcome through 'issue-linkages', connecting refugee protection to policy fields in which states have strategic interests, such as migration, security, and development. Empirically, it examines the history of four UNHCR-led initiatives: the International Conferences on Refugees in Africa (1981 and 1984), the Indo-Chinese
Comprehensive Plan of Action {{Distinguish, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action The Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA) is a program adopted in June 1989 at a conference in Geneva held by the Steering Committee of the International Conference on Indo-Chinese Refugees of the Unit ...
(1989), the International Conference on Refugees in Central America (1989), and the Convention Plus initiative (2003-5). ''Survival Migration: Failed Governance and the Crisis of Displacement'' (Cornell University Press, 2013), explores new drivers of displacement that fall outside dominant interpretations of who is a 'refugee' under the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees. Theoretically, it uses the concept of 'survival migration' to highlight people who flee serious harm but are not generally recognized as refugees. Empirically, it uses qualitative fieldwork to explain variation in African state responses to people fleeing serious socio-economic rights deprivations in fragile states, examining national responses to people fleeing Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zimbabwe. It shows that where legal norms are ambiguous, elite political interests shape the boundaries of inclusion and exclusion. ''Mobilising the Diaspora: How Refugees Challenge Authoritarianism'' (Cambridge University Press, 2016, with Will Jones), examines the political lives of refugees, focusing particularly on how refugee diasporas mobilize to challenge authoritarianism in their countries of origin. Theoretically, it offers a social constructivist account of diaspora formation, suggesting that diasporas are not pre-determined but defined by their political mobilization vis-a-vis the homeland. They have 'lifecycles', emerging, expanding, and sometimes waning. Empirically, it examines the history of Rwandan and Zimbabwean diaspora, revealing the important role played by internal and external elites in mobilizing and sustaining diasporic engagement. ''The Global Governed? Refugees as Providers of Protection and Assistance'' (Cambridge University Press, 2020, with Kate Pincock and Evan Easton-Calabria) explores the role of refugee-led organizations (RLOs) in providing social protection. Theoretically, it challenges the dominant provider/beneficiary relationship within global governance. Building upon the 'post-development' literature, it uses a 'post-protection' lens to critically examine the interaction between international institutions and in refugee-led organizations. Empirically, it focuses on RLOs in camps and cities in Kenya and Uganda, to reveal how, despite a lack of funding or recognition, RLOs provide important and diverse forms of social protection. The RLOs that thrive generally do so by bypassing formal humanitarian governance and creating their own transnational networks. ''The Wealth of Refugees: How Displaced People Can Build Economies'' (Oxford University Press, 2021) explores what sustainable refugee policies look like in an age of displacement characterized by rising numbers and declining political will. It is divided into four main sections. 1) Ethics — what is right? 2) Economics — what works? 3) Politics — what persuades? 4) Policy — what next? It argues that all rich states have an obligation to support spontaneous arrival asylum, resettlement/complementary pathways, and to support refugees hosted in neighboring countries. However, realistically, the majority of refugees will remain in countries that neighbor conflict and crisis, and so a development-based approach to refugee protection offers the most viable way forwards. Drawing upon original qualitative and quantitative data from Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia, it reveals the limitations of existing 'self-reliance' programmes and the ambivalent and often disingenuous politics that underpins them. It argues for a re-think in how protection is delivered in refugees' regions or origins, outlining an approach that builds upon the skills, talents, and aspirations of refugees, leverages socio-economic rights, and invests in infrastructure, public services, and job creation for both refugees and proximate host communities.


Impact

Betts' work has been influential in reframing refugees as economic contributors, and increasing recognition and funding for refugee-led organisations. He has been active in public and policy debates in relation to the Syrian, Venezuelan, and Ukrainian refugee crises. Together with
Paul Collier Sir Paul Collier, (born 23 April 1949) is a British development economist who serves as the Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford and co-director of the International Gro ...
, he developed an idea to employ Syrian refugees in already existing Special Economic Zones in Jordan, first published in a piece in
Foreign Affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization, nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership or ...
. The proposal adopted as a pilot project by Jordan, the UK, the EU, and the World Bank, which became known as the 'Jordan Compact’. The pilot was described by
News Deeply News Deeply is an online journalism and technology company, based in New York City, specializing in single-issue news websites and building online databases of stakeholders. Its flagship site, ''Syria Deeply'', was founded by Lara Setrakian and A ...
as “one of the most important economic experiments in the world today.” Despite its limitations, the Compact opened the Jordanian labour market to refugees and led to 200,000 work permits being granted to Syrian refugees in Jordan. In 2017, he co-authored ''Refuge: Transforming a Broken Refugee System'' with
Paul Collier Sir Paul Collier, (born 23 April 1949) is a British development economist who serves as the Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford and co-director of the International Gro ...
, which was recognised by
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...
as one of the best books of 2017, and was final shortlisted for the Estoril Global Issues Distinguished Book Prize.


Honours

He was named in
Foreign Policy Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...
magazine's top 100 global thinkers in 2016, as a World Economic Forum
Young Global Leader Forum of Young Global Leaders, or Young Global Leaders (YGL), is a non-profit organization. The organization was created by Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum and is managed from Geneva, Switzerland, under the supervision of the Sw ...
in 2016, in Thinkers 50's radar list of emerging business influencers in 2017, as a
Bloomberg Businessweek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'' (and before that ''Business Week'' and ''The Business Week''), is an American monthly business magazine published 12 times a year. The magazine debuted in New York City in Septembe ...
'gamechanger' in 2017, and as a European Young Leader by Friends of Europe in 2020. He won the
Economic and Social Research Council The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), formerly the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) funded by the UK government. ESRC provides fundi ...
's Outstanding International Impact Prize in 2021, for work on 'Refugee-Led Social Protection During COVID-19'. He was also awarded the
International Studies Association The International Studies Association (ISA) is a US-based professional association for scholars and practitioners in the field of International relations, international studies. Founded in 1959, ISA has been headquartered at the University of Con ...
's 'Ethnicity, Nationalism, and Migration' Distinguished Book Prize for ''The Wealth of Refugees'' in 2022. He has received fellowships and grants from the
British Academy The British Academy for the Promotion of Historical, Philosophical and Philological Studies is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the sa ...
, the
MacArthur Foundation The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation that makes grants and impact investments to support non-profit organizations in approximately 117 countries around the world. It has an endowment of $7.6 billion and ...
, and the
Economic and Social Research Council The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), formerly the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) funded by the UK government. ESRC provides fundi ...
(ESRC), among others. He is Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS).


Books

* ''Protection by Persuasion: International Cooperation in the Refugee Regime'',
Cornell University Press The Cornell University Press is the university press of Cornell University, an Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York. It is currently housed in Sage House, the former residence of Henry William Sage. It was first established in 1869, maki ...
, 200

* ''Forced Migration and Global Politics'', Wiley Blackwell, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009 * ''Refugees in International Relations'', co-edited with Gil Loescher,
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
2010

* ''Global Migration Governance'',
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 201

* ''UNHCR: The Politics and Practice of Refugee Protection'', with Gil Loescher and James Milner
Routledge Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...
, 2012 * ''Survival Migration: Failed Governance and the Crisis of Displacement''
Cornell University Press The Cornell University Press is the university press of Cornell University, an Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York. It is currently housed in Sage House, the former residence of Henry William Sage. It was first established in 1869, maki ...
, 201

* ''Implementation in World Politics: How Norms Change Practice'', co-edited with Phil Orchard
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 201

* ''Mobilising the Diaspora: How Refugees Challenge Authoritarianism'', with Will Jones,
Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...
, 201

* ''Refugee Economies: Forced Displacement and Development'', with Louise Bloom, Josiah Kaplan, Naohiko Omata,
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
201

* ''Refuge: Transforming a Broken Refugee System'', with
Paul Collier Sir Paul Collier, (born 23 April 1949) is a British development economist who serves as the Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford and co-director of the International Gro ...
, Penguin Books, Penguin
Allen Lane Sir Allen Lane (born Allen Lane Williams; 21 September 1902 – 7 July 1970) was a British publisher who together with his brothers Richard and John Lane founded Penguin Books in 1935, bringing high-quality paperback fiction and non-fictio ...
, 201

* ''The Global Governed? Refugees as Providers of Protection and Assistance'', with Kate Pincock and Evan Easton-Calabria
Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...
, 202

* ''The Wealth of Refugees: How Displaced People Can Build Economies'',
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 202


Selected talks

* 'Refugees as a Resource' at Skoll World Forum, October 201

* 'Our Refugee System is Failing. Here's How We Can Fix It.' at TED (conference), TED Conference, March 201

* 'It's Not About Migration, It's About Economic Transformation', TEDx Oxford, April 201

* 'Why Brexit Happened and What to Do Next?' at TED (conference), TED Conference, July 201

* 'What If We Helped Refugees to Help Themselves', TEDx Vienna, November 201

* 'Making Sense of Brexit' at Business of Fashion, December 201


Other achievements

He is former European debating champion. He has run the
London Marathon The London Marathon (also known as the TCS London Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an annual marathon held in London, England. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically held in April, although it moved to Oct ...
in 2:38.24 and has a personal best half marathon time of 1:11.51


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Betts, Alexander Alumni of Durham University Alumni of the University of Bristol Alumni of the University of Oxford British political scientists Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford 1980 births Living people