Experts Database

Jan 2021 - now, Ph.D. candidate, Population Research Center, University of Groningen

I am Olha Zhmurko, a researcher and founder of the Vox Populi Agency in Ukraine (VPA has been operating since 2018).
Currently, I am in Brno, Czech Republic, studying at the Department of Sociology at Masaryk University. I also work at the Czech Social Data Archive at the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. I am staying in the Czech Republic as a person with temporary protection due to the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
I have practical experience in implementing social research, participating in the development of recommendations and policies related to the displacement of internal migrants in Ukraine, protection of the rights of the Roma minority, etc.
During my professional career, I have worked closely as a researcher or consultant for UNDP, European Council, USAID, and Open Society Networks.

Layla Zibar is an Urban Researcher and has a Dual Doctoral degree in Architectural Engineering from Brandenburg University of Technology (Germany) & KU Leuven (Belgium). Her research focuses on the intersections of Forced displacement, territories, spatial transformations, memory and questions of multi-scaler homes. In her PhD, she explored the long history of Kurd forced migration waves in the region and the spatial dimension of “displacements receiving sites” which appear to be (re) aggregating the overall urban landscape.

Ally Zlatar is the founder of The Starving Artist which is an artist initiative that helps broaden perspectives on Eating Disorders and Mental Illness through the artistic voice. Her "This Body of Mine" campaign explores the female migrant experiences from displaced backgrounds and has helped support over 50 international female artists from refugee seeking backgrounds. Ally Zlatar has recieved the highest accolade a young person can achieve for their humanitarian work; The Princess Diana Legacy Award (2021) and also special recognition from The British Citizen Award (2022).

She holds a BFA in Visual Art & Art History from Queen's University & an MLitt Curatorial Practice and Contemporary Art from the Glasgow School of Art. Her Doctorate of Creative Arts is with the University of Southern Queensland focusing on embodied experiences of eating disorders in contemporary art. Zlatar is a Lecturer at the University of Glasgow (Anderson College, GIC), KICL London, and University of Essex (UEIC).

Laura coordinates Knowledge Management and Communications for the joint EU-ICMPD MIgration EU eXpertise Initiative (MIEUX+). A Spanish national, she was brought up between Spain, Italy and Canada and studied Sociology in Madrid, Spain where she became interested in migration and pursued this field further through an MA in Communities and Social Change from City University London, United Kingdom. Although she started her career as a researcher, she quickly realised that the fast-paced nature of communications suited her more and applied this interest to working in different areas, including market research, advocacy and citizen engagement.