Three hubs, one PoliSync
As PoliSync has grown in scale, expertise and ambition, our work has evolved around three dedicated hubs: Strategic Policy, Humanitarian Connect and Migration Shift.
Each hub brings together a distinct portfolio of expertise, projects and partnerships under dedicated leadership, while remaining connected by the interdisciplinary approach at the heart of PoliSync.
Strategic Policy addresses cross-cutting international policy challenges, turning research and evidence into stronger international cooperation, practical long-term solutions, capacity building and technology for social good.
Humanitarian Connect advances practical, locally grounded responses to increasingly complex humanitarian challenges, combining policy, finance, technology and systems innovation.
Migration Shift brings together our work on migration research, policy innovation and alternatives to restrictive and securitised approaches.
The hubs are designed to deepen expertise, build coherent programmes and partnerships, and develop new areas of work over time. But they are not silos. Teams and specialist skills work across all three, combining research and policy analysis with capacity building, technology, data and design, communications, and stakeholder and community engagement.
This shared model allows PoliSync to connect evidence with action, moving from research and ideas through to policy influence, practical implementation and measurable impact.
Strategic Policy
Director: Dr Cecilia Cannon
Technical lead: Naledi Hollbruegge (strategy, data analysis)
As global challenges intensify and institutions face growing pressure to respond to immediate crises, PoliSync established the Strategic Policy Hub in 2025 to maintain a longer-term, systems-level focus.
Through its projects and capacity building, the Hub equips nonprofits, researchers, governments and international organisations worldwide to navigate complex policy environments, engage effectively in international policy processes, and develop innovative solutions together. It also explores how emerging technologies can strengthen policy and social impact, including through PoliSync’s growing work on AI for social good.
Migration shift hub
Director: Dr Marie McAuliffe
Migration Shift is PoliSync’s hub for reimagining migration systems through rigorous research, data-driven insights, bold policy design, and inclusive engagement. It seeks to transform how migration is understood, governed, and experienced - driving policy innovation, shifting narratives, and centering the voice and leadership of people on the move.
Bringing together PoliSync’s strengths in policy research, data visualisation, Tech4Good, capacity building, and storytelling, the hub challenges restrictive, securitised migration approaches and advances forward-looking, human-centered alternatives. From influencing governance to amplifying migrant-led innovation, Migration Shift serves as a resource for understanding migration dynamics, shaping responsive policy, and fostering cross-sector collaboration to catalyse change.
Humanitarian Connect
Director: Sandra Uwantege Hart
Humanitarian Connect is PoliSync’s systems innovation hub for building more inclusive and resilient futures in humanitarian contexts. Working across the humanitarian–development–peace–climate nexus, it equips local actors with the research, tools, technologies, and partnerships they need to lead change.
With a focus on context-driven problem-solving and digital innovation, the hub supports frontline actors and donors alike in creating scalable, evidence-based solutions to today’s complex humanitarian challenges. Its vision: international systems that enable, not manage, local actors.
Boost your policy skills
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Sanctions training for humanitarian actors
10, 17, 24 September and 1 October, 2024, online
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Influence international policy
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Transform research into policy impact
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Publication
Effectiveness of Humanitarian Exceptions to Sanctions: Lessons from the Syria Earthquake by Dr. Erica Moret
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Publication
Background brief: Exploring solutions to irregular migration by Dr. Cecilia Cannon
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Publication
From promise to practice: A cross-institutional analysis of design trends, enablers and challenges in blockchain-enabled cash and voucher delivery by Sandra Uwantege Hart
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The fundamentals of data visualisation
