In this document we present the strategic plan of the Feinstein International Famine Center for the next three years. We explain how the Center will build on its current international status and expertise to enhance research, teaching and institutional change activities. We explain how it will respond to opportunities for growth, and how it will have greater impact in alleviating suffering and protecting the rights of marginalized and vulnerable people affected by conflict and crisis. Integral to the plan is the systematic use of processes to ensure that community-level needs and aspirations are understood and prioritized in the actions and policies of national and international bodies. The plan requires the Center to change and grow in six key interrelated areas:
- We will reshape our programs and enable more multidisciplinary and reflective approaches to research which optimize the Center’s and Tufts University’s collective expertise.
- We will further develop our existing expertise in institutional change, strive for a more effective impact on the humanitarian system at the highest levels, and become a key resource for organizations wishing to adapt to an increasingly complex operational and policy environment.
- We will strengthen our teaching within the University and build the capacity of our academic partners overseas to offer quality and affordable courses on humanitarian issues.
- We will greatly improve our capacity to disseminate our research to a wide audience, from academics to policy makers to community-based partners.
- We will work strategically with a global network of individuals and organizations who share the Center’s vision – we see the Center as the hub of an international and diverse group of actors committed to making a difference in the most threatened and most marginalized communities.
- We will secure the future of our Africa-based team, and therefore enhance our capacity for both long-term and meaningful engagement with local partners and for validating our research with African communities in crisis.
Our three-year strategic plan aims to strengthen the Center while also retaining its flexibility to respond to new challenges. We invite our fellow faculty and our partners and collaborators around the world to join us in what we believe is a truly compelling endeavor.
