Stylianos Kostas (Greece) is a humanitarian and human mobility specialist with professional experience in asylum and refugee protection, migration governance, and public policy.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and master’s degrees in Democratic Governance and Human Rights and in European Studies, obtained through Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation, and LUISS Guido Carli University of Rome. He began his professional career in the Greek public administration, serving in positions related to migration management, asylum procedures, and border governance, including diplomatic service functions abroad. He later joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where he has worked in coordination, external and donor relations, and partnership roles, supporting refugee responses and humanitarian strategies across multiple regional contexts.
He is currently a PhD candidate in Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Coimbra. His research examines intangible cultural heritage in the context of forced displacement, focusing particularly on culinary practices as expressions of identity, memory, resilience, and social integration.
Alongside his academic work, he has authored publications on refugee and migration issues, humanitarian governance, and cultural heritage. His professional and research activities also include cultural and social inclusion initiatives linking refugee protection with arts, culture, and sports, as well as policy-oriented research and programming related to refugee responses and migration governance.