Arek Dakessian

Dr. Arek Dakessian is a Lecturer and Programme Leader in the Institute for Global Health and Development (IGHD) at Queen Margaret University. His research focuses on refugeedom, integration, and social network analysis, particularly examining how social relationships and connectedness influence integration for displaced and host communities.

He convenes the postgraduate module 'Forced Displacement and Integration' and is part of a team investigating refugee healthcare integration into national systems, supported by UNHCR. Current projects include studying refugee health system resilience and developing an app to analyze social connections among displaced families in partnership with the British Red Cross and Barnardo’s, funded by the EU Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund.

• Research Methods: Ethnography, Social Network Analysis, Arts-Based Research
• Key Projects:
  • Refugee Healthcare, Integration, and Resilience (UNHCR)
  • Family Reunion Integration Service (EU-funded)

Awarded Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Dr. Dakessian’s work bridges sociological theory with practical solutions for displaced populations. His interdisciplinary approach emphasizes the intersection of aesthetics and politics in migration studies.