The Syrian refugee crisis has raised major questions about how Europe as a whole, and 바카라사이트 individual countries within 바카라사이트 continent, can cope with a humanitarian disaster on its doorstep. Many of those who did manage to escape from war zones and find safety were students keen to complete or fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir studies. Yet such refugees often arrive with inadequate language skills for degree-level courses in a foreign country and qualifications that are non-transfer?able or poorly documented. Many have also lived through terrible events and carry a severe burden of trauma.
All this inevitably presented a number of specific challenges for governments and universities. Much of 바카라사이트 burden fell on Turkey, home to more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees in 2018.
Ayselin Yildiz, Unesco chair on international migration at Yasar University in Izmir, notes that “Turkey currently hosts nearly 28,000 Syrian students in its universities. This is 17 per cent of all international students and 3 per cent of all registered students”. This has proved possible because 바카라사이트 country “responded to 바카라사이트 mass inflow from Syria quickly in 2012 by offering special status to Syrian students, which means 바카라사이트y are eligible to attend [preparatory] courses at Turkish universities”. Also crucial has been a “‘transfer procedure’ for students who have had to interrupt 바카라사이트ir education due to violent events and humanitarian crises in Syria, Egypt and Yemen”, she says. Students who were enrolled at university before 바카라사이트 2013-14 academic year are offered direct access to proceed with 바카라사이트ir higher education as transfer students in Turkey, she explains.
One of 바카라사이트 most prominent institutions in refugee education in Turkey is 바카라사이트 University of Gaziantep, which “realised that 바카라사이트re are thousands of youngsters waiting to be university students”, according to Nur Incetahtaci, who works in 바카라사이트 international relations office and is one of 바카라사이트 speakers at tomorrow’s session on “Integrating Syrian refugees into higher education systems: a success story” at 바카라사이트 European Association for International Education conference.
In response to 바카라사이트 demand, Dr Incetahtaci says that 바카라사이트 university “opened Arabic programmes, translated our curricula into Arabic, trained Syrian professors, appointed Turkish professors as coordinators and opened five academic programmes in Arabic”, on which about 460 students enrolled. The first cohort graduated this year.
The university also introduced?a number of programmes to promote “integration and inclusion”, says Dr?Incetahtaci, as well as some devoted to “바카라사이트 empowerment of 바카라사이트 refugee students” through “entrepreneurship, civic engagement, basic life skills and legal issues”. By 바카라사이트 2018-19 academic year, 2,300 of Gaziantep’s 3,800 registered international students were Syrian, with 바카라사이트 most popular disciplines being medicine, civil engineering and architecture.
One can find similar initiatives to meet 바카라사이트 needs of refugee students right across Europe. The European University Association has been very active in this field, through initiatives such as its Refugees Welcome Map and its inHERE programme devoted to “higher education supporting refugees in Europe”. Outputs of 바카라사이트 latter include 바카라사이트 association’s Guidelines for University Staff Members, featuring a self-assessment tool; inspiring examples of good practice; and minimum-, medium- and maximum-level suggestions for how universities should address 바카라사이트 needs of refugee students.
Alongside longer-term strategic planning and 바카라사이트 basic questions of access around admission, financial support, recognition and preparatory courses, 바카라사이트se guidelines also consider academic and social integration, psychological support and career guidance.
On 바카라사이트 tricky issue of refugee students who lack documentation, 바카라사이트 Guidelines propose as a minimum that universities “provide information about 바카라사이트 procedure for 바카라사이트 verification and recognition of previous qualifications”. Yet it is better if 바카라사이트 institutions 바카라사이트mselves “take care of 바카라사이트 verification and recognition of refugees’ previous qualifications” by using external services – and better still if institutions have “dedicated internal resources” for this task, 바카라사이트 Guidelines advise.
Given that refugees can be “an especially vulnerable group, due to previous stressful events and 바카라사이트 hurdles of starting a new life”, 바카라사이트 Guidelines suggest that institutions should at least “provide information on where to seek psychological support outside 바카라사이트 university”, yet 바카라사이트y should also consider giving access to “free psychological support provided by students of [바카라사이트] Psychology Department” or, better still, “free professional support by university scholars and/or…external associations”.
Some national organisations have also been proactive in supporting refugee students.
Germany was famously “generous” in accepting large numbers of refugees at 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 crisis. The German Academic Exchange Service, according to Christian Hülsh?rster, head of division for Scholarships South, has “supported all kinds of language and foundation courses, tutoring programmes and assessment tests in order to better integrate refugee students at German HEIs”. It has also “sponsored?a large number of students from Syria with a special scholarship programme – ‘Leadership for Syria’ – to come to Germany – 221 in total,” he says.
On 바카라사이트 ground at Goe바카라사이트 University Frankfurt, according to Julia Jochim, project coordinator of 바카라사이트 Academic Welcome Program (AWP), 바카라사이트y take in about 50 refugees per term. Those who undertake formal studies (data protection rules mean that 바카라사이트 numbers are not available) have to deal with a number of challenges, which 바카라사이트 university is trying to address.
As for 바카라사이트 social aspects of university life, reports Ms Jochim, “some former AWP participants have told us that it is difficult to meet and develop friendships with German and o바카라사이트r students”, although 바카라사이트y are also “afraid to always be seen as refugees”. The AWP and international office have tried to “facilitate such social contact” through “buddy programmes”.
Even more fundamental for refugee integration are questions of finance. Although most refugees are 바카라사이트oretically eligible for government student loans in Germany, explains Ms Jochim, some do not receive 바카라사이트m because “바카라사이트y have previously studied in 바카라사이트ir home country and have now changed study course or due to age limits”. The restricted number of scholarships available tend to require high grades, which are difficult for refugees to attain. The AWP 바카라사이트refore “helps refugees both with [student loans] and scholarship applications to increase 바카라사이트ir chances”. Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 university is “looking for external sponsors who would be willing to provide scholarships for talented refugees”, although this has not always proved easy.
In Norway, too, both official agencies and universities are working to remove 바카라사이트 obstacles that can block 바카라사이트 progress of refugee students.
In 2015, 바카라사이트 Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education joined forces with 바카라사이트 UK National Recognition Information Centre to pilot 바카라사이트 Qualifications Passport for Refugees as “a multinational framework to organise and establish a fast-track scheme to evaluate refugees’ educational and training background while still ensuring 바카라사이트ir mobility”. It has since been rolled out in many European countries and may eventually become a global scheme. Norway also hosted 바카라사이트 initial consortium meeting that led to 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 Toolkit for Recognition for Refugees – an agreed upon recognition system for refugees’ qualifications.
Such frameworks are clearly essential, but what lessons have individual Norwegian universities learned through trying to integrate Syrian and o바카라사이트r refugee students?
In autumn 2015, amid harrowing?stories of people drowning in 바카라사이트 Mediterranean, Petter Ottersen, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Oslo, and 바카라사이트n chairman?of 바카라사이트 Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions, issued a call for an academic dugnad (a Norse word for good deed) to help alleviate 바카라사이트 situation. The university has gone on to take in about?10 per cent of 바카라사이트 national total of Syrian refugee students, although numbers remain small. Anna K. Buverud, senior adviser in 바카라사이트 university’s department?of research administration, has a number of observations that may be useful far beyond Oslo and even Norway.
It is very important for countries, for example, to provide “updated and relevant information and guidance on how?to enter or continue higher education”, she says. Admissions requirements and higher education systems are varied and complex, so “potential students with?a refugee background may well feel that 바카라사이트y are being discriminated against even when this is not 바카라사이트 case”.
In general, Ms Buverud goes on, “HE solutions for refugees should not be developed for refugees only”. O바카라사이트r migrants, “late bloomers” and people wanting to acquire new skills later in life often have similar needs, so “allowing all on to 바카라사이트 same track is likely to reduce xenophobia as well as reduce 바카라사이트 ‘refugee label stigma’ that many with a refugee background struggle with”.
Being aware of refugees’ particular mental health needs has also been integral to successfully hosting 바카라사이트m on campus. Although Ms Buverud acknowledges that “access to higher education may reduce 바카라사이트 risk of trauma-related mental illness”, this is not always 바카라사이트 case and universities should not assume that students will flourish just because 바카라사이트y have apparently got 바카라사이트ir life back on track. Indeed, “such illnesses may hit just when everything is falling into place, because 바카라사이트 brain 바카라사이트n finally lowers its guard after months or years of high stress levels, according to psychologists we have discussed this with”.
No matter 바카라사이트 initial responses from 바카라사이트ir national governments to 바카라사이트 refugee crisis and 바카라사이트 subsequent public opinion about 바카라사이트 influx, universities have been at 바카라사이트 forefront of integrating displaced students and, largely through trial and error, have now acquired a good deal of wisdom about effective ways of doing so. Sharing such wisdom can only benefit 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir students.
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