The institute is one of Europe's leading academic institutions to conduct research on humanitarian crises. Coming from a strong tradition of international humanitarian law and human rights law, the institute today combines high-level inter-disciplinary research from the disciplines of public law, social science, geosciences and public health.

They examine the origins of humanitarian crises; the legal parameters before, during and in the aftermath of crises; the effects crises have on people, societies and institutions; and the responses states, international organizations and non-governmental organizations give to crises. They see it as part of our mandate to promote international humanitarian law and the humanitarian principles.