Antonio De Lauri is an Italian anthropologist specializing in legal and political anthropology, with a focus on war, humanitarianism, and human rights. He serves as a Research Professor and Research Director at the (CMI) in Bergen, Norway.
Education.
De Lauri earned his PhD in “Human Sciences: Anthropology of the Contemporary” from the University of Milan-Bicocca in 2010. His doctoral research examined Afghanistan’s judicial system, exploring the interplay between traditional, religious, and international legal influences.
Career.
Prior to joining CMI in 2017, De Lauri held academic and research positions in Italy, France, Germany, and the United States. He was a visiting scholar at Columbia University and a Fernand Braudel Fellow at the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme in Paris. In 2012–2013, he was a Rechtskulturen Fellow at the Forum Transregionale Studien in Berlin.
At CMI, De Lauri has coordinated the research group on humanitarianism (2017–2020) and served on the institute’s board (2019–2022). From 2021 to 2023, he directed the Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies. He is also the founding Editor-in-Chief of the journal Public Anthropologist and the Editor of Berghahn Books’ series “Humanitarianism and Security.” He is the President of the International Humanitarian Studies Association (IHSA).
De Lauri has conducted ethnographic research in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Europe, focusing on topics such as war, post-war societies, humanitarianism, human rights, judicial practices, and border dynamics. His research has been supported by grants and fellowships from organizations including the European Research Council and the Research Council of Norway.
Selected publications.
•De Lauri, A. (2025). “Coda: The Experience of War Beyond Exceptionalism.” "War and Society."
•De Lauri, A. & Suhrke, A. (2021). "Armed Governance. The Case of the CIA-supported Afghan Militias." "Small Wars and Insurgencies."
"•"De Lauri, A. ed. (2020). "Humanitarianism: Keywords." Leiden: Brill.
•De Lauri, A. (2019). "Humanitarian Militarism and the Production of Humanity." "Social Anthropology."
"•"De Lauri, A. (2019). "A Critique of the Humanitarian (B)order of Things." "Journal of Identity and Migration Studies."
•De Lauri, A. ed. (2015). "The Politics of Humanitarianism. Power, Ideology and Aid." London: I.B. Tauris.
"•"De Lauri, A. (2012). "Afghanistan. Ricostruzione, ingiustizia, diritti umani." Milano: Mondadori"."