Claudia Seymour

Dr. Claudia Seymour serves as Head of Applied Research and Practice and Lecturer at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva), where she convenes MA courses on the political economy of violence, conflict management, and ethics of international engagement. With over 25 years of field experience in conflict zones, she specializes in youth protection, resilience, and ethical dimensions of humanitarian intervention, working extensively with UNICEF, UN Peacekeeping, and international NGOs.

Her academic credentials include:

• PhD in Development Studies from SOAS, University of London (2013)
• MA from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (2002)

Seymour’s research critically examines international protection frameworks through the lens of youth survival strategies in chronic conflict, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. Her work challenges conventional narratives by highlighting local resilience mechanisms and the unintended consequences of external intervention, advocating for ethically grounded approaches that center community agency.

Analysis of her publications reveals a decade-long trajectory examining youth experiences in violence, with increasing focus on ethical leadership and healing-centered responses. Her seminal 2019 book The Myth of International Protection synthesizes fieldwork across multiple conflicts to expose systemic gaps in protection paradigms.

She directs externally funded projects for USAID, UNICEF, and the Small Arms Survey, producing policy guidance on child protection, DDR, and education in conflict settings. Her commissioned work includes the 2018 UN University report Cradled by Conflict and the 2016 USAID study Alternative Education in the DRC.

Seymour co-founded The Everyday Actions Collective to bridge practitioner-scholar divides and serves on boards including the Bermuda Human Rights Education Network and Fondation Prix Henry Dunant, while contributing to Manas’ healing-centered initiatives for mass violence survivors.