Houwayda is Professor at the Graduate School of Social Work at Saint Joseph University of Beirut. She holds a PhD in social work from the University of Montreal. As IDRC Research Chair on Forced Displacement in the Middle East, her work focuses on irregular maritime crossings from North Lebanon with the aim to formulate policy recommendations. Houwayda’s research also works to strengthen the capacities of social workers and other actors involved in forced displacement in Lebanon, through the development of a contextualized intercultural approach, crisis intervention guides, and a participatory management model for reception centres for internally displaced persons.
