Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies

Sonia Chabane is a social scientist specialising in international development, humanitarian assistance, and grassroots activism in the Mediterranean region. Over the past six years, she has gained expertise in the intersections of forced migration, human rights mechanisms and violations, new technologies, and the political economy of humanitarian assistance in Turkey, the Mashreq, Maghreb, and the Gulf.

Currently based in Brussels, Belgium, Sonia has been managing EU-funded projects and research for over two years at the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA). In her role, among others, she co-manages the delivery of external expertise to the European Parliament, particularly on Foreign Affairs (AFET), human rights (DROI), development (DEVE), and the Southern and Eastern Neighbourhoods, including the Greater Middle East (AFET).

Prior to her work at TEPSA, Sonia gained international experience through positions at research institutes (CNRS, Istanbul Policy Center), academic institutions (Yeditepe  University, Saint-Joseph University of Beirut, University College London), think tanks (European Horizons, Turkish Heritage Organization), and non-governmental organizations. This diverse background has fostered her interest in action-oriented research and strengthening ties between academia and policy-making.

Sonia holds three Master’s degrees with a research specialisation: one from the Global Campus of Human Rights focusing on human rights in the Arab world (2021), and a Dual MA in the Governance of International Relations and Law from Sciences Po Toulouse and University-Toulouse-1 Capitole (2022). Her master’s theses explored the use of eye biometrics in humanitarian operations in Jordan and grassroots organising among migrants in contemporary Turkey.