Francis Kelei is a PhD Scholar under the Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship Project at The Australian National University’s Department of International Relations (IR) in the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs. Mr. Kelei commenced his doctoral studies in early 2025, and his program focuses on the Protection of Children and Young People in the Global South During Humanitarian Emergencies and Displacement. Specifically, his doctoral study, titled “Childhood in Crises: Child Trafficking, Forced Recruitment, and Exploitation in Humanitarian Emergencies and Forced Displacement,” employs a comparative analysis of South Sudan and Somalia to examine the vulnerabilities of displaced children and develop evidence-based policy recommendations for the protection and welfare of children and young people in humanitarian emergencies and displacement in the Global South.

Francis Kelei brings a wealth of academic and professional experience to his research endeavors. He holds a Master’s degree in Defence, Development, and Diplomacy from Durham University, where he conducted research on security sector reform and transitional justice in post-conflict settings. His diverse educational background also includes a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Juba, with a dissertation focusing on child abduction in South Sudan and its potential classification as genocide under international law.

As a National Trainer of Trainers, trained by the ICGLR-RTI on The Prevention and Suppression of Sexual & Gender-Based Violence, and a former risk analyst and lecturer at the University of Juba and Upper Nile University, Francis has a robust history of engaging with humanitarian issues, research, and knowledge impartment. He has held various roles across South Sudan, contributing to security analysis, peacebuilding, and capacity building for NGOs and universities.

His personal experience as a displaced child and refugee during the Sudanese civil war informs his unwavering commitment to advancing protections for vulnerable populations, especially children, young people and women during humanitarian emergencies and displacement. Francis spent almost his entire childhood in displacement - living in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in South Sudan for over 10 years, and later as a refugee for 5 years in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, providing him with unique and profound insights into the realities of displacement and resilience.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Francis is an active advocate for addressing gender-based violence and enhancing community-based child protection. His interdisciplinary approach draws upon political science, international relations, and law to tackle complex challenges at the intersection of displacement, conflict, and human rights.