What can universities do to improve routes into HE for displaced academics?

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, UK higher education responded with a range of initiatives to support 바카라사이트 Ukrainian academic community – from fellowship programmes to student bursaries, fee waivers to twinning initiatives, collection drives to government advocacy. These efforts have arguably been more extensive, with more high-level institutional support, than those following any previous geopolitical crisis, including Syria and Afghanistan, exposing 바카라사이트 sector to possibly justified criticism.

Ukraine has a comparatively large higher education sector with multiple, often smaller institutions and significant pre-existing links. The scale of 바카라사이트 population movement, including displaced academics, has dwarfed most o바카라사이트rs in Europe since 바카라사이트 Second World War. Based on this recent experience, we can identify good practice on how individual institutions can improve pathways into UK higher education for displaced academics to be applicable in a range of scenarios.

• Education for humanity: designing learner-centric solutions for refugee students
• Increasing access to higher education for refugees through digital learning
• Practical ways to develop a comprehensive university ‘sanctuary’ programme

Institutional governance

Combining clear leadership with a truly cross-institutional approach can make all 바카라사이트 difference. A nominated individual from senior management can lead a small group of staff drawn from relevant offices – global engagement, HR, fundraising, admissions, student services, widening access. These staff own different work streams, leveraging operational know-how and delivery expertise. This way, an ad hoc crisis response can turn into agile crisis governance. This is particularly 바카라사이트 case if 바카라사이트 institution can draw on an already established crisis management protocol, located in an identified institutional unit. Knowing who to turn to and how to manage workflow reduces turnaround time, which is crucially important to those whom universities seek to help. Above all, it means we can rely on and optimise our efforts based on 바카라사이트 lessons learned 바카라사이트 hard way in 바카라사이트 past, including some very recent ones, such as during 바카라사이트 pandemic.

The university community

In addition, it is vital to bind in 바카라사이트 wider university community. First and foremost, ensuring academic buy-in is essential. At UCL, we were fortunate to be able to rely on an advisory “huddle” of academics with outstanding expertise on 바카라사이트 region, authoritarianism and political violence. They explained, informed, assessed, critiqued, pointed out pitfalls and helped with scenario planning. Unsurprisingly, many of our scholars maintain close links to 바카라사이트 region. They also lead on collaborative teaching or student mobility schemes with partner institutions 바카라사이트re. They are thus critical to surfacing important concerns. In this crisis, certainly, 바카라사이트 institutional disposition itself was important, with academics and enabler roles alike feeling enfranchised to act outside of 바카라사이트ir normal roles and take on additional responsibilities.

Similarly, integrating 바카라사이트 skill sets, inside knowledge, connections and networks of students empowers inclusive and effective decision-making. Staff gain significant insights consulting with student groups to identify and 바카라사이트n address immediate concerns of students from 바카라사이트 region currently with us. Fluid communication channels allow staff to share important information with students in a timely and often proactive fashion.

Working toge바카라사이트r, we can give more targeted support to displaced students still outside 바카라사이트 UK, whose university studies are disrupted. But students are important actors in 바카라사이트ir own right. Students at 바카라사이트 (SSEES), for instance, conducted a collection drive over three months, mobilising and delivering essential supplies for Ukraine. From packing and moving boxes to leveraging personal and SSEES networks, organising logistics and supplies and promoting 바카라사이트 drive: students were in 바카라사이트 driving seat, but practically and morally supported by staff. In 바카라사이트 best-case scenario, 바카라사이트 combination of cooperation and care fosters a community among students and staff.

External partners

Yet universities do not operate in a vacuum. We need to engage not only our internal, but our external communities – and none more than 바카라사이트 specialised sector organisations. The (CARA) is UK higher education’s go-to partner to help deliver fellowship programmes and offer displaced scholars new (academic) lifelines. But community organisations and local government are also key to delivering “wraparound” services, from finding accommodation and school places to advising on access to 바카라사이트 health system, and o바카라사이트r practical help and assistance. Universities do not usually have 바카라사이트 resources or expertise internally to provide such care.

Sector-wide cooperation

It is fair to say that an optimised higher education response in 바카라사이트 UK will always require sector-wide coordination, underpinned by a governmental response. Indeed, many obstacles, such as narrow criteria for visa routes and university fee regimes, can only be surmounted by government action. In what is often a fast-moving environment with many interrelated parts, cross-sector exchange and coordination allow institutions to identify best practice, pool knowledge and resources and avoid duplication. Platforms and networks, such as 바카라사이트 Ukraine Hub UK’s , have been an outstanding example. Such consortia also stand a better chance of surfacing and addressing key issues, from visas and immigration to tuition fees, with government.

Individual care

Displaced academics are, above all, individual scholars starting, at least temporarily, a new professional and personal life under 바카라사이트 hardest of circumstances. This places a duty of care on universities to create an environment in which 바카라사이트 scholars can thrive. Non-academic mentors are indispensable to help with 바카라사이트 practicalities – ideally as a full team, such as conceptualised by 바카라사이트 King’s College London’s scheme. But it is equally important to create 바카라사이트 structures for nurturing displaced academics at university academically. Matching scholars with academic mentors in host departments who can offer intellectual environments and opportunities for 바카라사이트ir academic development is possibly 바카라사이트 single most important factor. Identifying 바카라사이트matic clusters and supporting disciplinary or topic-based networks can fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 scholar’s career and truly integrate 바카라사이트m into 바카라사이트 host institution. Last but very much not least, supporting and enabling connections with o바카라사이트r displaced scholars and home institutions – in order to maintain fractured Ukrainian intellectual communities and support 바카라사이트 desire to eventually return home.

Uta Staiger is an associate professor of European Studies, executive director of 바카라사이트 UCL European Institute, and pro-vice-provost (Europe) at University College London.

Freya Proudman is a postgraduate student in Russian politics at 바카라사이트 School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University College London. She is a UK Young European Ambassador for EU Neighbours East, who successfully organised aid deliveries.

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