Prof. Dr. Khalid Koser


Professorial Fellow

Research group(s):
6. Migration and Development

Dr Khalid Koser is Executive Director of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund. Dr Koser is also Non-Resident Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, Associate Fellow at Chatham House, Research Associate at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Non-Resident Fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney and extraordinary Professor in Conflict, Peace and Security in the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences at the University of Maastricht. He is also chair of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Migration, and editor of the Journal of Refugee Studies. Dr Koser is a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).




Selected publications by Khalid Koser


Articles (journal, professional, popular)
Koser, Khalid , 2020, The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move, Science, 368(6498): 1436-, DOI: 10.1126/science.abb9025, More information
Koser, Khalid & Eric Rosand, 2016, A better way to counter violent extremism: Why business as usual won’t work, Foreign Affairs(July 27), More information
Kuschminder, Katherine & Khalid Koser, 2016, Why don’t migrants just stay in Turkey and Greece: We asked them, The Conversation Global(Dec. 13), More information
Koser, Khalid , 2016, Preventing violent extremism: turning a threat into an opportunity for the private sector, Huffington Post World Post, More information
Kuschminder, Katherine & Khalid Koser, 2016, Afghans in Greece and Turkey seeking to migrate onward: Decision-making factors and destination choices, Migration Policy Practice, VI(3): 30-35
Koser, Khalid , D.L. Heymann, L. Chen, K. Takemi, D.P. Fidler, J.W. Tappero, M.J. Thomas, T.A. Kenyon, T.R. Frieden, D. Yach, S. Nishtar, A. Kalache, P.L. Olliaro, P. Horby, E. Torreele, L.O. Gostin, M. Ndomondo-Sigonda, D. Carpenter, S. Rushton, L. Lillywhite, B. Devkota, R. Yates, R.S. Dhillon & R.P. Rannan-Eliya, 2015, Global health security: The wider lessons from the west African Ebola virus disease epidemic, The Lancet, 385: 1884-1899, DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60858-3, More information
Koser, Khalid & Katherine Kuschminder, 2015, Key findings of comparative research on assisted voluntary return and reintegration of migrants, Migration Policy Practice, V(1), More information
Koser, Khalid , 2014, Transition and displacement, Forced Migration Review, 46, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, The business case for migration: Engaging with the private sector to encourage more proactive migration policies in the interest of economic growth and prosperity, Migration Policy Practice, III(5)


Book chapters
Koser, Khalid , 2017, Migration and security: exploding the myths, in: G.Hugo, M.Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi, E.P.Kraly (eds), Demography of Refugee and Forced Migration, Springer, London, More information
Koser, Khalid & Katherine Kuschminder, 2017, Assisted voluntary return and reintegration of migrants: A comparative approach, in: Marie McAuliffe, Khalid Koser (Eds), A Long Way to Go: Irregular Migration Patterns, Processes, Drivers and Decision-making, ANU, Canberra, Australia, More information
Koser, Khalid & Katherine Kuschminder, 2017, Assisted voluntary return and reintegration of migrants: A comparative approach, in: Marie McAuliffe and Khalid Koser, A long way to go: Irregular migration patterns, processes, drivers and decision making, ANU Press, Canberra, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2014, Protecting non-citizens in situations of conflict, violence and disaster , in: Susan F. Martin, Sanjula Weerasinghe, Abbie Taylor (eds), Humanitarian Crises and Migration: Causes, Consequences and Responses, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, UK, More information
Koser, Khalid , M. Edelstein & D.L. Heymann, 2014, Health crises and migration , in: Susan F. Martin, Sanjula Weerasinghe, Abbie Taylor (eds), Humanitarian Crises and Migration: Causes, Consequences and Responses, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, UK, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Protecting the Rights of Migrant Workers, in: J. Cortina and E. Ochoa-Reza (eds), New Perspectives on International Migration and Development, Columbia University Press, New York
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Refugees and Migration, in: T. Weiss and R. Wilkinson (eds), International Organizations and Global Governance, Routledge, New York


Books (monograph or edited volume)
McAuliffe, Marie & Khalid Koser (eds.), 2017, A Long Way to Go: Irregular Migration Patterns, Processes, Drivers and Decision-making, ANU Press, Canberra, Australia, DOI: 10.22459/LWG.12.2017, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2016, International Migration: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, UK, 136, More information
Koser, Khalid (ed.), 2013, The Business Case for Migration, World Economic Forum, Geneva, More information


UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Kuschminder, Katherine & Khalid Koser, 2017, The role of migration-specific and migration-relevant policies in migrant decision-making in transit, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2017-022


External working papers
Kuschminder, Katherine & Khalid Koser, 2016, Irregular Migrants Decision Making Factors in Transit, Department of Immigration and Border Protection (Australia) Occasional Paper Series No.21


Research reports
Koser, Khalid & Amy E. Cunningham, 2017, Migration, violent extremism and social exclusion, IOM World Migration Report 2018, Geneva: IOM, pp.209-24, More information
Koser, Khalid & Katherine Kuschminder, 2015, Comparative Research on the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration of Migrants, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva, Switzerland


Other (editorship, media appearance, keynote, etc.)
Koser, Khalid & R. Omidvar, 2017, Three hopeful trends for the future of welcoming migrants and refugees, World Economic Forum blog, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2017, For refugees, 2016 was a year of contradictions, World Economic Forum blog, More information
Koser, Khalid & R. Omidvar, 2017, It’s time to restate the business case for migration, World Economic Forum blog, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2017, Five things you need to know about the world’s refugee crisis, World Economic Forum blog, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2016, Reforming the international protection regime: Responsibilities, roles and policy options for Australia, Lowy Institute Analysis, More information
Koser, Khalid & Amy E. Cunningham, 2016, Migration and violent extremism in contemporary Europe, World Bank Blog, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2016, Why we shouldn’t fear mass migration, World Economic Forum blog, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2016, 3 observations on migration from Davos 2016, World Economic Forum blog, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2016, Europe’s real crisis? Confidence, World Economic Forum blog, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2016, Why Brexit will actually lead to a higher proportion of foreigners entering the UK, World Economic Forum blog, More information
Koser, Khalid & M. Hastings, 2016, 6 ways to stem growing hostility towards migrants, World Economic Forum blog, More information
Koser, Khalid & J. Crisp, 2016, We just lost a great leader in the field of migration. Now we must learn from him, World Economic Forum blog, More information
Koser, Khalid & Katherine Kuschminder, 2016, The dream of a better life- why refugees move on from Turkey and Greece, World Economic Forum blog, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2016, Migrants help economies to thrive. So why do they still generate fear?, World Economic Forum blog, More information
Koser, Khalid & Elaine Lebon-McGregor, 2016, What Will Be the Legacy of Alan Kurdi’s Death?, UNU-MERIT Blog, More information
Merkle, Ortrun, Diego Salama & Khalid Koser, 2016, Challenges to Peacekeeping in the 21st Century: New Series, UNU-MERIT Blog, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Afghanistan: More Asylum Seekers Coming, OpEd, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Australia’s Rudd Wins Race to the Bottom on Asylum, OpEd, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Afghanistan 2014: Preparing for the Humanitarian Transition, OpEd, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Afghanistan 2014: Displacement Scenarios, OpEd, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Afghanistan 2014: A Crisis of Internal Displacement, OpEd, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, As West Focuses on Troop Withdrawal, Afghans Look Beyond 2014, OpEd, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Who Cares When Migrants Become Internally Displaced Persons?, OpEd, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Turning Migration Policy from Failure to Opportunity, OpEd, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Australia Missing the Lessons of Lampedusa, OpEd, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Why Europe’s Immigration Nightmare is Only Just Beginning, OpEd, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Promoting a Sensible Debate on Migration, OpEd, More information
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Transitions in Afghanistan: Implications Within and Beyond, Policy report, UNHCR, 33pp
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Towards the High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, Policy report, IOM/UNDESA/UNFPA, 114pp
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Establishing an Evidence-Base for Future Policy Development on Irregular Migration to Australia, Policy report, Irregular Migration Research Program Occasional Paper Series 01/2013 46pp
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Transition, Crisis and Mobility in Afghanistan: Rhetoric and Reality, Policy report, IOM (2013) 46pp
Koser, Khalid , 2013, Migration and Displacement Impacts of Afghan Transitions in 2014: Implications for Australia, Policy report, Irregular Migration Research Program Occasional Paper Series 03/2013 (2013) 51p


UNU-MERIT