Dr Marisol Reyes

• PhD Political Behaviour, Government Department, University of Essex, United Kingdom (2007)
• Master Degree in Latin American Studies, Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Policy, Georgetown University, United States (2003).
• BA (Hons) International Relations (First Class) National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico (1991)

Dr Marisol Reyes is a scholar with eight years-experience working as a civil servant in international affairs on projects related with citizenship and civic education with the United Nations (UN), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, and Organisation of American States.

As an academic she has been a lecturer since 2005 at Essex University, UK; University of Minnesota, USA; and Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico. She has been a visiting scholar at the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy, Queen’s University, Belfast, UK. She was awarded prestigious Fulbright and Scholars in Residence (SIR) scholarships; she was a visiting scholar at the University of Minnesota; Mexican Ministry of Education; McArthur-Ford-Hewlett Foundation; and Organization of American States.

Dr Reyes is qualified in different quantitative and qualitative methods of social research. Since 2016, she has been a research fellow at the University of Birmingham working on different projects in relation to migrants and refugee resettlement in the UK, community cohesion, community connectivity. She also worked with the School of Education at the University of Birmingham on a project for children with disabilities in Malawi.

At the Institute for Research into Superdiveristy (IRiS) in the University of Birmingham she has been the research lead since 2017 for the Community Sponsorship Scheme (CSS) directed by Professor Jenny Phillimore. Her research has focused on the motivations and experience of the organisers and volunteers around the resettlement plan and funding before the sponsored families arrive. It also includes the kind of hospitality provided to the families once they are in residence, and the challenges experienced with the wider community.

Recent research includes the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the support and integration of the refugee families sponsored by the scheme. She also volunteers supporting asylum seekers with the charities the Refugee Council and Brushstrokes in Birmingham.

Research interests

Modalities of private hospitality towards refugees in the UK and countries with private Community Sponsorship

Impact of different forms of private hospitality in the integration process of refugees and assimilation in the wider community 

Resettlement of refugees, social cohesion and connectivity

Volunteer in a support group for women at the Refugee Council Birmingham.
Volunteer in the Asylum Guides Programme, Brushstrokes-Refugee Action, Smethwick.
Mentor in the Community Practitioner Programme, USE-IT, University of Birmingham
Member of Birmingham Partners.