Profile

Professor David Cantor

Professor of Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies

Bio

Professor David Cantor, PhD, is founding Director of the Refugee Law Initiative (RLI) and the Internal Displacement Research Programme (IDRP) at School of Advanced Study, University of London. Trained originally as a social anthropologist, Professor Cantor has worked as a practitioner, including as Legal Officer for Refugee Legal Centre and Senior Advisor to UNHCR. In a consultancy capacity, he has advised, trained and researched for global south governments, as well as INGOs and northern and southern NGOs. Professor Cantor researches on refugees, IDPs, displacement, disasters and conflict. He has done fieldwork in Latin America from 1998 onwards. Since 2010, he has published seven books/special issues and 30+ journal articles and book chapters, organised over 100 RLI conferences and workshops and secured research funding for 20+ projects. In 2017–2018, he won the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) Award for Research Project of the Year. He jointly runs the distance-learning MA in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies.