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DATE: Friday. August 28, 2026. 7:20PM (Seoul)
VENUE: Seoul Public Activities Center (SPAC, 서울시공익활동지원센터). ‘다목적홀’ (For more information, see below.)
SUMMARY:
Utilizing the latest available data, this lecture will examine the scale and scope of global displacement in today’s world. It will explore the principal drivers of forced displacement, the demographic characteristics of displaced populations, and the geographic distribution of host countries and communities, providing an overview of one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges facing the international community.
The lecture will also examine the role and mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), highlighting how the agency coordinates international efforts to protect refugees, internally displaced persons, and stateless persons. It will discuss UNHCR’s work in safeguarding fundamental rights, supporting humanitarian assistance, managing resettlement and emergency response programs, and pursuing durable solutions through voluntary repatriation, local integration, and third-country resettlement.
Drawing on current global developments and real-world examples, Stefan Maier will offer insights into the evolving humanitarian landscape and the challenges and opportunities confronting the international protection regime in the twenty-first century.
BIO:
Stefan Maier has served as an international staff member with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) since 2007, holding a wide range of protection, legal, and policy positions across the Maghreb, Central Africa, Western Europe, and the Middle East.
Prior to his current assignment as Deputy Representative (Protection) for UNHCR Korea, Stefan served as Head of the Policy and Legal Unit at UNHCR’s Representation for EU Affairs in Brussels. Before joining UNHCR, he worked at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights in Vienna and at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union in Brussels.
Stefan studied law and political science in Austria, France, and the United States, bringing both academic expertise and nearly two decades of field and policy experience to one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.
ADMISSION (Online & In-person):
Free for RAS Korea Lifetime and Annual Members; W10,000 for Non-members; W5,000 for Non-member students (Student ID requested)
VENUE:
Seoul Public Activities Center (SPAC, 서울시공익활동지원센터) is located at Yongsan Verdium Friends #101 (용산베르디움프렌즈 101동) B1, 40 Baekbeomro 99-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Walk 2-3 minutes from ‘Exit 8’ of Samgakji Station (LINE 6 & 4) and take the elevator down to the B1 Floor.
Address: B1, 40 Baekbeomro 99-gil, Yongsan Verdium Friends #101, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
