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Dr Rachel Hoare, Director of the Centre for Forced Migration Studies,
T: +353(0)1 896 1842
About Dr Rachel Hoare
As a clinician and a researcher working with people who have experienced forced displacement, Dr Rachel Hoare brings both applied and research experience to the research centre. Rachel is a full-time academic and a part-time expressive arts psychotherapist who works with unaccompanied and separated young people seeking asylum on behalf of TUSLA, the Irish child and family agency. Her research is informed by her clinical practice and she is particularly interested in identifying ways of developing best practice to provide professionals and organisations with the tools to work in a trauma-informed way with forcibly displaced young people. Rachel also has an interest in exploring ways of developing the coping and resilience of these young people, with a particular focus on friendships, befriending and mentoring projects.
Rachel’s development of the Trinity Elective ‘Exploring the human experience of forced displacement’ in 2019 has been a major driver in the conceptualisation of this centre ( https://www.tcd.ie/trinity-electives/electives/migration/). This elective which runs twice a year attracts high numbers of home and international students from many different disciplines. It was a timely response to the arrival in Europe of more than a million displaced people in 2015, which sparked a crisis across the continent as countries struggled to cope.
One of the main goals of the Elective is to explore the (often forgotten) lived experiences of forced displacement. It brings together colleagues from many different areas of College who are conducting research and advocating in the area of forced displacement, to share their knowledge and experiences with students and colleagues. This Trinity Elective has two stand out features: firstly the fact that in addition to engaging in research in this area, all contributing lecturers have advocated for or worked with people who have experienced forced displacement and secondly the inclusion of a panel discussion with people who have experienced forced displacement and professionals who are working to improve their lives. Students produce a reflective piece on their experience of this panel discussion.
If you would like to get involved with the Centre please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Rachel Hoare, School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies