Yousef Qaisi
- Email: bnyq@leeds.ac.uk
- Thesis title: Entrepreneurship in Exile: Examining Transformative Agency Within Constrained Contexts – A Comparative Case Study of Refugee Camp Entrepreneurship
- Supervisors: Dr Deema Refai, Nick Williams
Profile
My PhD research focuses on entrepreneurship in refugee camps, examining cases from both developed and developing countries. I study how people start and run businesses in these challenging environments, comparing informal settlements in France (Calais and Dunkirk) with established UN camps in Jordan (Zaatari and Azraq).
The research looks at the relationship between starting a business and creating change - both in the camp community and for the individuals involved. I'm particularly interested in how refugees exercise agency through entrepreneurship and how these businesses reshape social structures while changing the entrepreneurs themselves. A central part of my work examines how the restrictions and limitations of camp life affect people's ability to develop businesses.
This research contributes to broader debates about entrepreneurship in constrained environments and helps us understand how economic activity develops in spaces where traditional market conditions don't exist.
Research interests
- Refugee/migrant entrepreneurship
- Constrained entrepreneurship
- Religious entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship in the Global South
Awards/honours
- LUBS Management Division Full Scholarship
- LUBS Publication Scholarship
- Journal of Business Venturing Insights Academy Graduate (Durham University)
LinkedIn profile: my research
Qualifications
- MBA (Master of Business Administration)
- PgCert (Distinction)
- BSc (Hons) (First class)