Zahra MoshrefJavadi is a researcher in public international law whose work sits at the intersection of international legal theory, human rights, forced migration, and humanitarian practice. She holds a Ph.D. in Public International Law from Allameh Tabataba’i University, where her doctoral research explored how non-state actors contribute to the normative transformation of international law. Her research is driven by a longstanding interest in understanding how international legal norms evolve in response to the growing influence of actors beyond the state and how these developments shape the international norms.
Currently affiliated with the Centre for Refugee Studies at York University, Zahra contributes to research examining vulnerability in Canadian refugee resettlement through the LERRN Partnership. Her recent work combines legal analysis with policy research, focusing on how concepts such as vulnerability, protection, and inclusion are interpreted and implemented in refugee and resettlement systems. She is particularly interested in producing research that is both academically rigorous and relevant to practitioners, policymakers, and community organizations.
Zahra worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Tehran, where she supported refugees and asylum seekers through protection interviews, legal case management, and coordination with legal aid providers. This experience strengthened her commitment to connecting international legal principles with the realities faced by displaced populations and reinforced her belief that effective policy must be informed by both evidence and lived experience.
Alongside her research, Zahra has collaborated with universities and non-profit organizations on projects related to refugee protection, gender-based violence, community engagement, and newcomer integration. She has published on international legal personality, corporate social responsibility, and the role of non-state actors in international law, and has presented her research at academic conferences in the fields of international law and forced migration.
Her academic interests include public international law, non-state actors, international human rights law, refugee and forced migration studies, humanitarian action, mediation, and conflict resolution. As a qualified mediator, she is interested in the potential of mediation and dialogue to complement legal frameworks, strengthen access to justice, and support peaceful and sustainable responses to complex social and humanitarian challenges.
Through both research and practice, Zahra seeks to bridge scholarship, policy, and community engagement, contributing to interdisciplinary and evidence-based approaches that advance human rights, social inclusion, and equitable solutions to contemporary global challenges.
