The Humanitarian Academic Agenda: an inventory

On 12 June, practitioners, academics and policymakers from the humanitarian sector gathered in The Hague to draw up an inventory for a new Dutch Humanitarian Academic Agenda. KUNO organized this event with the Institute of Social Studies and the Hague Academic Coalition.

After a keynote speech by ALNAP research fellow Alice Obrecht, several new humanitarian initiatives in the city of The Hague were introduced. Thea Hilhorst, professor of humanitarian aid and reconstruction at the Institute of Social Studies, outlined the goal of the new Humanitarian Studies Association, which is based within the ISS. Also, Christine Pirenne, Head of Humanitarian Aid at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke about the new UN OCHA Data Centre and the need for data-sharing and innovation in humanitarian aid. Lastly, Tineke Ceelen, Director at Stichting Vluchteling, gave an interview about the reasons for founding KUNO. These new initiatives highlight, once more, the importance of the city of The Hague to the international humanitarian sector.

After the plenary session, the room was divided into four discussion tables in which cross-sectoral knowledge sharing was facilitated. Important humanitarian topics were discussed: cash, localization, innovation and the politicization of humanitarian aid. Each discussion table defined some take-away points for future discussions or action. These take-aways will be used by KUNO in defining some of its future learning activities in the sector. In this way, we ensure that the valuable insights of the afternoon are used for further reflection and learning.

To read the report of this event click here