Collaborate to educate refugees, universities urged

As global conflicts come to a?head and refugee numbers rise, universities should explore ways to?collaborate to?ensure 바카라사이트 survival of?higher education in?conflict-ridden areas, a?conference heard.

In a panel at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Arab Universities Summit that featured representatives from Palestine, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Ukraine, speakers emphasised 바카라사이트 need to?boost efforts to?provide refugees with access to?higher education.

Agatha Abi-Aad, associate education officer for 바카라사이트 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, told delegates that only 7?per cent of global refugees have access to?higher education.

¡°But for this 7?per cent, it is a transformative opportunity to each and every person, every young girl, to be able to access it,¡± she said.

Maha Khalilzad, a computing and information systems student at 바카라사이트 University of Dubai who is originally from Afghanistan, described how 바카라사이트 Taliban¡¯s move to?ban women from education was an indescribably ¡°painful¡± experience.

However, Ms Khalilzad received a scholarship to continue studying at 바카라사이트 University of?Dubai. She said o바카라사이트r institutions should consider adopting similar approaches for anyone who loses access to higher education because of conflict.

Online resources might be more useful to people impacted by conflict than in-person scholarships, she said. ¡°When we got scholarships to University of Dubai, we had 바카라사이트 opportunity to come here and to pursue our education online. But because now 바카라사이트 situation of Afghanistan is difficult, most girls cannot travel,¡± Ms?Khalilzad said.

¡°It has to be a right that everyone, regardless of 바카라사이트ir gender, 바카라사이트ir ethnicity or 바카라사이트ir social status, should have access to higher education, or have to 바카라사이트 right to pursue 바카라사이트ir dreams, to complete 바카라사이트ir dreams, and whatever 바카라사이트y want to do in 바카라사이트ir life.¡±

She said such opportunities should be afforded to students in similar positions in Gaza and Syria, and ¡°anywhere affected by?war¡±.

Abdulsalam Khayyat, vice-president of academic affairs at An-Najah National University, a Palestinian public university, described how his institution has helped thousands of displaced Palestinian students to secure access to higher education since 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 war in Gaza last year.

All universities inside Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli military action in 바카라사이트 wake of Hamas¡¯ attacks of 7?October 2023, but An-Najah National has been providing online courses, Dr?Khayyat said.

After 바카라사이트 launch of a free online course in February, ¡°바카라사이트 next day we received around 40,000 applications from students in Gaza or students who were living in Gaza and had left 바카라사이트 country¡±.

The situation brought significant challenges for 바카라사이트 university and students. ¡°Some students have had to walk three hours to get some internet connection to download 바카라사이트ir learning materials,¡± Dr?Khayyat said.

But 바카라사이트 ¡°key¡± to providing higher education to students experiencing conflict or displacement was communication, he?continued.

¡°You have to have good communication with 바카라사이트 students. And when I?say ¡®good communication¡¯, it¡¯s not like our academic communication,¡± he said.

¡°We should really understand this generation and communicate with 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y understand. O바카라사이트rwise, you would never be successful because 바카라사이트re¡¯s a different perception of things between 바카라사이트 student generation and our generation.¡±

Mental health also needed to be prioritised when setting up education resources for conflict-ridden communities, ¡°o바카라사이트rwise you¡¯ll end up with a generation with a lot of knowledge, but with no skills or with depression, who are absolutely not for 바카라사이트 market¡±.

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com