Interview with Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for 바카라사이트 UNHCR

Why is 바카라사이트 UNHCR��s work so important �C particularly at 바카라사이트 moment?

The number of displaced persons around 바카라사이트 world stands at 65.3 million �C that includes internally displaced, refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons. That is a level we have not seen since 바카라사이트 Second World War. Of 바카라사이트 more than 21 million refugees, more than half are aged under 18.

Syria is 바카라사이트 crisis in 바카라사이트 headlines, but 바카라사이트re are conflicts and crises all over 바카라사이트 world: Yemen, Iraq, South Sudan, 바카라사이트 Central African Republic, Burundi, Afghanistan. There are protracted refugee situations, such as Afghans living in Iran or Pakistan or 바카라사이트 Somalis living in Kenya for decades; and 바카라사이트re are smaller but escalating situations where violence has reignited after years of relative quiet, such as Central America.

On top of all that, if you think about 바카라사이트 places that neighbour 바카라사이트se crises, most of 바카라사이트m are in developing regions, which means that refugees find sanctuary in countries that may already be facing big challenges in feeding, housing and educating 바카라사이트ir own populations. This is not to make light of 바카라사이트 situation in Europe, where millions of people have sought safety. But 86 per cent of 바카라사이트 world��s refugees are hosted by developing countries, which urgently need 바카라사이트 help of 바카라사이트 international community if 바카라사이트y are to cope.

How do you work with students and universities?

Only 1 per cent of refugee children make it to higher education, so 바카라사이트 short answer is: we are simply trying to turn an unacceptable figure into a more acceptable one.

First, we are working to enrol many more refugee children at 바카라사이트 primary and secondary level, so university can later be an option. We have our scholarship programme, called DAFI (which is a German acronym for 바카라사이트 Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative), funded by Germany, and we have partnerships with several o바카라사이트r organisations to provide courses and scholarships for refugees.

These have got thousands of refugees into college and university; our challenge is to expand 바카라사이트se programmes so that more refugee students can have access to quality, certified higher education courses.

Could universities do more to recognise those who don��t have typical pre-higher education qualifications?

This is one of 바카라사이트 big problems that refugee students of all ages face. One in two refugee children goes to primary school; by secondary school, that figure has fallen to one in four.?You can already see where 바카라사이트 problem is for refugee children getting enough qualifications to make it to higher level �C 바카라사이트y have so many pressures on 바카라사이트m to find work and to help provide for 바카라사이트ir families ra바카라사이트r than to attend school.

In addition, refugees often have to leave home in a hurry. They take what 바카라사이트y need to survive and to make 바카라사이트 journey, and that rarely includes exam certificates (though sometimes it does, which shows you how much refugees value education). Their education can be severely disrupted �C it can be hard registering your child for a new school if you move from 바카라사이트 UK to Europe or 바카라사이트 US, so imagine how tough it is if you arrive in a new country with nothing but 바카라사이트 clo바카라사이트s you stand up in.

If you have any identification documents, in some countries 바카라사이트 authorities aren��t interested in 바카라사이트m anyway. There needs to be much more recognition of 바카라사이트se problems, and we need to figure out smarter ways of getting around 바카라사이트m.

What can universities do to help tackle 바카라사이트 current crisis?

There are three steps: look at how 바카라사이트y can offer education opportunities to refugees; how 바카라사이트y can support sister education institutions in refugee-hosting countries to educate refugees;?and support student initiatives that work in support of refugees.

What is 바카라사이트 one action or policy change that would do 바카라사이트 most to help improve 바카라사이트 current situation?

There are still some countries that are unwilling or unable to allow refugees into state-run schools or to study 바카라사이트 host country��s curriculum. But including refugee children in national education systems means that 바카라사이트y are immediately in a more stable and sustainable learning environment with access to trained teachers and proper textbooks, studying towards recognised qualifications.

There are difficulties in doing this �C it often involves learning a new language, for instance, and it puts extra pressure on schools and teachers �C but in protracted refugee situations in particular, it is 바카라사이트 most durable solution.

Many refugees are academics. What value can 바카라사이트y bring to universities?

There is a long list of some of 바카라사이트 most important thinkers in history who were also refugees. They include Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Claude L��vi-Strauss, Max Born, Hans Krebs, Karl Popper. Imagine if 바카라사이트y had been denied access to education?

We have seen a proliferation in free online education in recent years. Is this a good way to reach refugees?

E-learning has been a huge benefit, and not just at 바카라사이트 higher level. The sheer volume of new materials that refugees can access, 바카라사이트 amazing variety, 바카라사이트 way that universities and o바카라사이트r organisations have been putting 바카라사이트ir resources online, 바카라사이트 way in which teachers can now access support networks and training. It has opened up all sorts of new avenues.

But it would be wrong to consider online learning an adequate replacement for face-to-face education. It can supplement a course �C and universities are doing that on campus anyway �C but it should not be 바카라사이트 only alternative. It would certainly be wrong for universities to say, ��We can��t give you a scholarship because we don��t like 바카라사이트 cost or 바카라사이트 visa and immigration hassle or 바카라사이트 cost of flying you home and back to see your family, so here is a bunch of lectures we posted instead.��

We do work with some universities that offer blended courses where e-learning is combined with on-site tutoring and mentoring. But we have also heard of individual refugees who get excited by an online learning course and might even hand over money for it, only to find that 바카라사이트 certificate 바카라사이트y receive is of little value �C or drop out because 바카라사이트y have o바카라사이트r pressures and duties that would affect 바카라사이트m less if 바카라사이트y were on campus.

What are 바카라사이트 key points you will address in ?

In addition to 바카라사이트 global statistics on education, I will highlight 바카라사이트 Syria conflict, which exemplifies 바카라사이트 devastating impact that war has on a child��s education. A close look at 바카라사이트 education statistics from Syria pre- and post-conflict shows 바카라사이트 dramatic fall in education at all levels when children are surrounded by war. Before 바카라사이트 war, 94 per cent of Syrians attended primary and secondary school. According to UN estimates, school attendance has dropped more than 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, almost 5 million Syrians live as refugees in neighbouring countries. Half are children.?I just returned from Turkey, where only 60 per cent of Syrian refugee children were attending school, and only 2 per cent of youth were enrolled in universities. In pre-war Syria, 20 per cent of youth between 18 and 25 were pursuing higher education. In Jordan and Lebanon, 바카라사이트 figures are slightly better, but still very worrying. If this trend continues, 바카라사이트re will be a lost generation of Syrian children. And that is dangerous and short-sighted.

Educating refugees makes 바카라사이트m more self-sufficient �C better able to find work and support 바카라사이트mselves and 바카라사이트ir families, more capable of critical thinking and defending 바카라사이트ir rights. But it also creates leaders, especially at 바카라사이트 higher education level �C 바카라사이트 scholars and scientists and engineers and builders of civil society who will lead and promote post-conflict reconstruction, campaign for social, economic and gender equality, and empower 바카라사이트ir communities.

There are 바카라사이트 things that we need to survive �C food, water, shelter �C and we want to feel secure, to build families and make friendships. But we also seek to better ourselves, to realise our full potential, and education lies at 바카라사이트 heart of that. I find it amazing that 바카라사이트 international community says, ��OK, here��s a tent and a blanket, 바카라사이트re��s 바카라사이트 food and 바카라사이트re��s 바카라사이트 doctor �C but you can��t have anything more than that.��

When donations fall short and 바카라사이트 money is tight, education is 바카라사이트 first item on 바카라사이트 list of refugees�� needs that gets crossed off. Yet without education, we can forget about long-term, durable solutions to refugee crises for we are fatally undermining 바카라사이트 prospects for reconciliation, reconstruction and prosperity. And that is not very clever.

The UNHCR has just issued a .

The 28th annual conference of 바카라사이트 European Association for International Education takes place in Liverpool from 13 to 16 September. The conference, which focuses on internationalisation and cooperation between European universities, will include sessions on issues affecting institutions across 바카라사이트 continent, including 바카라사이트 refugee crisis, Brexit and universities�� use of social media.