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Alexander Betts Named 2016 Young Global Leader by World Economic Forum

We are delighted to announce that Professor Alexander Betts, Director of the Refugee Studies Centre at ODID, has been named one of the Young Global Leaders – Class of 2016 by the World Economic Forum.

Each year, the World Economic Forum selects the most innovative, enterprising and socially minded men and women under the age of 40 from across the world who are pushing boundaries and rethinking the world around them. This year’s class of Young Global Leaders includes brilliant scientists, emerging entrepreneurs, tech investors, activist MPs, and advocates for human rights.

As the World Economic Forum states, “they are invited to join a community and a five-year leadership journey that we believe will help them break down silos, bridge cultures and use their collective skills to get things done for positive impact across private, public and civil society organizations.”

Alexander Betts is Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs and a Fellow of Green-Templeton College. He became Director of the Refugee Studies Centre in 2014. His research focusses on the politics and economics of refugees. He works with a range of governments and international organisations to improve refugee policies. He founded the Humanitarian Innovation Project at the RSC, which examines the role of innovation, business and technology in refugee assistance.

Oxford has had other academic YGLs, include Catherine De Vries, David Rodin, and Thum Ping Tjin, as well as many alumni, including Jane McAdam who now leads the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at the University of New South Wales.

Past YGLs include David Cameron, Mark Zuckerberg, Leonardo Di Caprio, Anderson Cooper, and Elon Musk, as well as a diverse array of people from across business, politics, the media, and academia, drawn from all continents around the world.

Alex said: “I am really honoured by this. It’s a great opportunity to put refugees squarely on the World Economic Forum agenda, and to ensure that both states and markets do more to address one of the defining issues of our time. There are already some brilliant YGLs working on refugee issues and I’m excited to work with them”.