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Projects

MERI provides expert analysis on major issues related to the Middle East through independent and rigorous research. A number of diverse projects have been initiated under MERI’s research programs. The projects are managed by dedicated fellows and currently include:

Good intentions, mixed results – A conflict sensitive unpacking of the EU comprehensive approach to conflict and crisis mechanisms

EUNAPACK is an EU funded (under Horizon 2020) multi-disciplinary research project, carried out by a consortium of 12 highly experienced partner institutes: Norwegian Institute of Foreign Affairs (NUPI), National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Freie University Berlin (FUB), Comenius University in Bratislava, the University of Manchester, the Alliance for Building Governance in Africa (ARGA), National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS),  Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Middle East Research Institute (MERI), Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP), San’t Anna School of Advanced Studies.

Website:  EUNPACK.eu

DRIVERS FOR ONWARD MIGRATION: THE CASE OF IRAQI IDPS IN THE KURDISTAN REGION LEAVING THE COUNTRY

The collaborative project between MERI, Qandil and the Joint Crisis Coordination Centre seeks to unravel the extent to which and under what conditions internal displacement in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq becomes onward migration outside Iraq. Funded by the he Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) under the security and rule of law programme, the project aims at providing the necessary evidence to better address displacement within and from fragile and conflict-affected settings and turn this evidence into policy recommendations.

The Future of EU-Turkey Relations: Mapping Dynamics and Testing Scenarios

FEUTURE is an EU funded (under Horizon 2020) multi-disciplinary research project, carried out by a consortium of 15 highly experienced partner institutes from the EU (CETEUS, CIDOB, CIFE, DIIS, Eliamep, IAI, TEPSA), Turkey (EDAM, Bilgi, Koc, METU, Sabanci) and Iraq (MERI), Georgia (CRRC) and Egypt (AUC). The aim is to assess and analyse future prospects of EU-Turkey relations, and in consideration of the neighbourhood that is unravelling to the east and south and a power shift that can be detected at global level

Website:  FEUTURE.eu

Resilience-building for Syrian refugee camps and the neighbouring host community

This project evaluates the feasibility of transforming the refugee camps and neighbouring towns into resilient communities. In essence, this involves building interventions to address the gaps between the current livelihoods situation and the targeted resilience indicators.

Relevant publications:
Advancing the concept of resilient livelihoods for Syrian refugees
Learning lessons for a resilience-based development response to the Syrian refugee crisis
With decreasing humanitarian aid, more development must come for refugees and hosts in Kurdistan