Humanitarian Studies Centre

Forwarding a societies-in-crisis approach to humanitarian studies, The Hague Humanitarian Studies Centre (HSC) is a hive of initiatives and activities aimed at:

academic and applied research
teaching and training
networking, outreach and advocacy

Mission

Developing and advancing humanitarian studies in the Netherlands and internationally, with a special focus on promoting research and education in crisis-affected and vulnerable areas.

Visit The Hague Humanitarian Studies Centre website

The HSC is part of the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam. The HSC was launched with the stipend attached to the Spinoza prize – the highest science award in the Netherlands – that was granted to HSC Director Professor Thea Hilhorst in 2022.

The Hague Humanitarian Studies Centre initiatives

HSC 1-day annual conference on Humanitarian Justice & The State of the Humanitarian System
During this 1-day conference on 3 October 2026, participants will consider what role Humanitarian Justice can play as both a critique of and a pathway for transforming contemporary humanitarian action.

Ahmed Akacha
One-year graduate MSc programme on Societies in Crisis: Humanitarian Action and Policy Responses.
This joint programme is offered by ISS and the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences. It equips future professionals to respond with insight and integrity to climate disasters, conflict and displacement.

Samantha Melis
The Good Humanitarian podcast series
The Good Humanitarian podcast series looks into the humanitarian questions of today and tomorrow. Experts share and discuss their insights on topics ranging from migration to ethics, extreme weather to conflict.
Climate Resilience in Diverse African Contexts: Co-Creating Knowledge∞Action networks (Climares) research project
This 6-year research project focuses on agricultural smallholders, fisherfolk, urban outdoor workers, pastoralists and displaced people - groups that are highly vulnerability to climate change and represent a large share of African populations. It investigates and addresses climate threats for at-risk populations in a range of governance and socioeconomic contexts.

CLIMARES
Humanitarian Governance: accountability, advocacy, alternatives project
This research project has a special focus on how civil society actors and crisis-affected people shape humanitarian governance by using accountability and advocacy.
The Humanitarian Observatories Network
Humanitarian Observatories are organized spaces where participants, representing multiple actors, discuss a variety of topics in relation to humanitarian governance.
See also the ALNAP The State of the Humanitarian System report 2026 which will be launched on 15 September 2026.
The Hague Humanitarian Studies Centre Fellows Network
An HSC Fellow is a researcher or practitioner that actively joins The Hague Humanitarian Studies Centre community and plays a role in one of the streams of HSC activities: Research, Education, Impact, and/or Networking. The honorary position is offered by the HSC to academics and practitioners of all ages and levels of seniority.

The Humanitarian Observatories Network meeting in Istanbul - 2025

Humanitarian studies concern the study of societies and vulnerable communities experiencing humanitarian crisis. This can originate from disaster, conflict, refugee situations and/ or political collapse.

It studies the causes and impact of crisis; how people, communities and authorities respond to them, including efforts for prevention and preparedness; how humanitarian action and other external interventions are organized and affect the recovery from crises; and the institutional changes that crises and crisis response engender.