Josiane Matar

My research examines refugee governance in times of crisis, with a particular focus on Syrian refugees in Lebanon. I explore how the Lebanese state preserves order amidst chaos and uncertainty, and how refugees navigate liminality, negotiate survival, and manage their interactions with the host community.

I am a Rhodes Scholar and hold a Master’s degree in International Public Management from Sciences Po, Paris, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Affairs from the Lebanese American University (LAU). Currently, I am a Visiting Fellow at LAU's Institute for Migration Studies and the Corresponding Editor for the Journal of the Anthropological Society of Oxford (JASO). In addition to my research, I serve as a mentor for the Graduate Horizons program at the Refugee-Led Research Hub, providing guidance to prospective students affected by displacement who are interested in pursuing higher education at Oxford and other universities worldwide.

Before joining Oxford, I worked as a consultant for the research division at the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) where I contributed to the World Migration Report 2022 and as an Events and Media Coordinator at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.