In Conversation With: Dr Aminath Nisha Zadhy-Cepoglu
In Conversation With Dr Aminath Nisha Zadhy-Cepoglu, discussing her research on displacement and the Displaced Brokers (DiShape) project.
Dr Aminath Nisha Zadhy-Cepoglu is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Research Fellow from the Maldives, and, along with Professor Ipek Demir, she is currently leading the project Displaced Brokers (DiShape). Dr Zadhy-Cepoglu is keen to explore refugee management regimes and humanitarianism at the finer levels of analysis and has contributed to the understanding of dynamic strategising among displaced people and experiences of urban refugeehood.
In this interview, Dr Zadhy-Cepoglu discusses her research, insights, and the wider context of her work.
What projects are you working on at the moment?
My current project focuses on Syrians and Afghans in temporary or conditional protection in Turkey, and the crucial humanitarian roles they play in providing aid to displaced people there. The case of Turkey is important because it continues to be the leading refugee-hosting country in the world, hosting mainly Syrians. Their humanitarian field has had to expand significantly to respond to the needs of the displaced people they host, and many of these people are themselves contributing to the work. In our project, we refer to them as ‘displaced brokers' and examine how they bring change to the work from the ground up and how they challenge exclusion and negotiate for inclusion from their unique vantage point within the humanitarian field. We look forward to sharing the findings of this study through articles and policy briefs.
Why is this area of research important right now?
Humanitarian efforts increasingly rely on the lived experience, community knowledge, and cultural expertise of displaced people themselves. Yet in contexts like Turkey, where access to education and healthcare is granted but employment is restricted, many of these individuals are unable to fully participate, despite playing vital roles on the ground. This makes it crucial to highlight ‘displaced brokers’ and how they push back against the barriers that limit their contributions. There is an urgent need for research that centres such individuals as a unit of analysis, examines their location in systems of protection and explores how they expand and constrain the borders of the humanitarian field. This project anticipates the complexities that will emerge from having such displaced people in formal and informal humanitarian roles, unaccounted for in research and policymaking, and will foreground them within the larger group of stakeholders, including state and multilateral agencies, humanitarian actors at various levels, native or host communities, and displaced people themselves.
How does your research relate to themes of refugees, migration, or displacement?
My research centres refugees as active humanitarian agents, highlighting how they strategically navigate complex and often restrictive protection regimes. It approaches displacement not as a one-time event, but as an ongoing, lived experience shaped by everyday negotiation, adaptation, and survival. While many migratory experiences involve forms of strategising, displaced people often face heightened precarity and uncertainty. This makes their navigation of legal, social, and humanitarian systems particularly complex. By focusing on these dynamics, my work contributes to a more nuanced understanding of displacement and refugeehood as lived, evolving conditions.
What advice would you give to students interested in this field?
I would encourage students to always remember that research into marginalised and over-surveilled communities, such as refugees, requires us to exercise considerable ethical care, which might extend beyond the procedural ethics of research.
We extend our thanks to Dr Zadhy-Cepoglu for sharing her time and insights.
Make sure to regularly check the School of Sociology and Social Policy’s website, LinkedIn, and Bluesky for research and student updates.
