The Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS) has concluded a formal grant agreement with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada for the project “Enabling Research Ecosystems in Fragile MENA States: A Nexus-Informed Approach". The agreement was signed on 25 March 2026 by CHS Director Dr. Ghassan Elkahlout.
The project focuses on one of the most persistent yet underexamined dimensions of humanitarian crisis: the collapse of research infrastructure itself. Yemen and Sudan — two of the most fragile and conflict-affected states in the Arab region — have seen their research institutions eroded, their scholars displaced, and their knowledge systems hollowed out at precisely the moment when locally grounded evidence is most needed. Despite their scale, both crises remain severely under-researched.
The project will be led by Dr. Sansom Milton, Senior Researcher at CHS, who brings extensive expertise in higher education, post-conflict recovery, and research in fragile Arab states. Over twelve months, CHS will map and diagnose research ecosystems in both countries, working alongside local partner institutions and drawing on its established networks in both contexts. Findings will feed into a regional synthesis, with workshops in Doha and in-country, and outputs including diagnostic reports, policy briefs, and op-eds — all disseminated open-access in line with IDRC policy.
“Research does not stop in times of war — it becomes more urgent. We are proud to support researchers in Yemen and Sudan in sustaining their work despite extraordinary adversity."— Dr. Ghassan Elkahlout, Director, Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies