Dr. Laura Jeffery

Biography

Laura Jeffery is a professor specializing in the anthropology of migration in the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh. As Dean of Research in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, her work focuses on protracted displacement contexts, especially in the Indian Ocean islands, including Chagos, Mauritius, Seychelles, and the Maldives. She has extensively engaged with the displaced Chagossian community, culminating in the inscription of Chagossian sega tambour music on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Urgent Safeguarding. Her research includes the impact of culture on sustainable resettlement and environmental conservation, particularly related to the Chagos Marine Protected Area. Laura has led various projects, including those focused on labor migration, the intersection of healthcare and gender in displacement contexts, and creative engagement through participatory arts methods. She is dedicated to teaching and supervising postgraduate research projects, actively engaging in research-led teaching on courses such as Culture and Power, and the Anthropology of Displacement and Migration. Laura's background includes a series of fellowships and projects that address the complex realities of forced migration and cultural heritage.

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Courses