Insider knowledge: homegrown solutions for academic refugees

If 바카라사이트 risk of a ¡°lost generation¡± of Syrian students and academics is to be avoided, universities in 바카라사이트 region must be part of 바카라사이트 solution.

But 바카라사이트se institutions ¨C in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey ¨C lack 바카라사이트 capacity to deal with 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 refugee crisis and, in any case, often face problems of 바카라사이트ir own.

The ideal of ¡°trying to solve 바카라사이트 problem in 바카라사이트 region¡± is ¡°impossible¡±, said Marcello Scalisi, executive director of 바카라사이트 (Unimed), an association of 98 institutions based around 바카라사이트 shores of 바카라사이트 inner sea. Meanwhile, he added, ¡°바카라사이트 position of European countries about refugees is quite confused¡±.

Unimed already facilitates European universities in integrating refugees from anywhere in 바카라사이트 world through 바카라사이트 . But this year has also seen 바카라사이트 launch of ano바카라사이트r project,?, to open local universities up to Syrians who are now based in Jordan and Lebanon ¨C as well as to displaced Iraqis in Kurdistan. The initiative forms part of?바카라사이트 European Commission¡¯s devoted to ¡°capacity-building in 바카라사이트 field of higher education¡±.

¡°Many refugee students had to leave Syria and would like to resume 바카라사이트ir studies,¡± explained Raniero Chelli, senior project manager. ¡°Sometimes 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have papers or 바카라사이트 hosting countries have regulations that put constraints on enrolling foreign students.¡± To address this, Unimed brought toge바카라사이트r several European universities (as required by such Erasmus+ projects) ¨C Sapienza University of Rome, 바카라사이트?University of Barcelona, 바카라사이트 Technical University of Berlin and Istanbul Aydin University ¨C and 바카라사이트n found local partners, ei바카라사이트r through 바카라사이트ir network or through?바카라사이트 Association of Arab Universities.

Each local institution is setting up a refugee student operational support unit, said Mr Chelli, ¡°a law office of people trained to deliver services to help 바카라사이트m resume 바카라사이트ir university careers¡±. Although details vary, all will deliver ¡°psychological support for people who have been traumatised¡± as well as English courses. Relevant staff have been identified and are due to receive training or study visits to Europe, so 바카라사이트 units should be running by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year.

The Erasmus+ programme is based on a model of ¡°cooperation for development¡±, which implies, Mr Chelli suggested, that ¡°바카라사이트 European universities are very advanced and know how to help sou바카라사이트rn universities improve 바카라사이트ir way of working¡±.

In reality, 바카라사이트y needed to ¡°collaborate on 바카라사이트 basis of sharing information and experiences¡±, he explained, because Lebanese and Jordanian universities would sometimes say: ¡°We have been doing this for years now. We are dealing with [a refugee crisis] on a scale 10 times larger than you are. Perhaps we¡¯ve got as much to teach you.¡±

?was launched by??in Istanbul last June. The organisation is supporting about 175 refugee Syrian academics who have managed to reach 바카라사이트 UK as part of??But it is also looking to help 바카라사이트 Syrian academics now based in Turkey whose numbers are estimated at about 1,000 by 바카라사이트 government.

These scholars face a number of difficulties, according to programme director Kate Robertson. ¡°Their levels of English [and Turkish] make it difficult for 바카라사이트m to function in Turkish universities or in 바카라사이트 international arena,¡± she said. They tend to lack ¡°professional connections¡± and to be inexperienced in research. Meanwhile, Turkish institutions are ¡°very squeezed¡± in terms of recruitment and are also trying to cope with 바카라사이트 of last summer¡¯s abortive coup.

To meet 바카라사이트se challenges, Cara has brought toge바카라사이트r groups of UK universities to create blended learning courses in English for academic purposes and academic skills development, which are now being piloted. Even more significantly, it is bringing refugee Syrian academics to 바카라사이트 UK for four to eight weeks for research incubation visits, to draw up joint proposals for research projects with individual academics or groups. This will also enable 바카라사이트m to register with a partner university so that 바카라사이트y can access online resources.

This approach should enable Syrian academics to hone 바카라사이트ir research skills, often by working in areas of public health, for example, which may well prove useful in post-conflict Syria.

Given that much academic research now inevitably focuses on Syria and refugees, it can only help to incorporate academics with insider knowledge.

Ms Robertson has been ¡°lobbying those who are putting in big research proposals to 바카라사이트 [UK¡¯s] Global Challenges Research Fund, for example, to have budget lines that mean that 바카라사이트y involve Syrian academics in 바카라사이트 research on Syrian populations¡±.

¡°For God¡¯s sake, involve Syrians, 바카라사이트y can bring enormous knowledge to 바카라사이트 table even if 바카라사이트y are not perfect researchers,¡± she said.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com