The Humanitarian Action Initiative (HAI) is an academic and research hub housed in the Elliott School of International Affairs that convenes and cultivates the school’s curriculum, scholarly research, and policy expertise on topics related to humanitarian assistance.
Humanitarian assistance is a broad field of activity that includes responses to earthquakes, floods, droughts and famines, involves assistance to internally displaced persons, refugees and migrants, and addresses basic human needs to permit individuals affected by conflict, climate change, or health emergencies to live life with dignity. Through our curriculum, events, research activities, and policy engagement, we introduce the many dimensions of humanitarian assistance to our students and prepare them to tackle the most pressing issues in humanitarian policy. Our world renowned faculty challenge students to both master understanding of the core institutions, practices, and principles of the global humanitarian system and question and critique ways of doing and knowing to build more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable strategies for addressing humanitarian needs.
The Humanitarian Action Initiative’s core objectives are:
- to educate and train the next generation of reflective humanitarian practitioners
- to conduct rigorous, independent research of humanitarian action
- to engage the policy communities in Washington D.C. and around the world
- to raise awareness of humanitarian crises, needs, and assistance in the general public.
