1 / 14

Higher education for refugees: Good practices from the DAFI programme

Higher education for refugees: Good practices from the DAFI programme. “ Strengthening Delivery of Higher Education to Refugees ” Istanbul, Turkey 6 October 2015. UNHCR ’ S mandate. Under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees: UNHCR ’ s mandate is to safeguard

wesleyt
Download Presentation

Higher education for refugees: Good practices from the DAFI programme

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Higher education for refugees:Good practices from the DAFI programme “Strengthening Delivery of Higher Education to Refugees” Istanbul, Turkey 6 October 2015

  2. UNHCR’S mandate Under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees: UNHCR’s mandate is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees • Ensuring protection for people of concern • Providing for basic needs • Finding durable solutions

  3. Forced displacement in 2014 59.5 million forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict, generalized violence and human rights violations 14.4 million refugees under UNHCR’s protection 38.2 million IDPs 51%of all refugees are under 18 Over 4 million Syrian refugees in host countries in the region (1st October 2015)

  4. UNHCR Education Strategy 2012-2016 Action 4: More young people will follow higher education courses Kenya/UNHCR/R. Gangale/May 2010

  5. Contribution of higher education • Globally, less than 1% of refugees have access to higher education opportunities and demand is rapidly increasing • Higher education for refugees serves individuals, communities and societies • Professional development and self-reliance • Reinforced protection of children and young people • Skill-sets necessary for solutions to refugee situations • Peaceful co-existence between refugee and host communities

  6. DAFI scholarship programme • Initiated and primarily funded by Germany, complemented by private donors, implemented by UNHCR since 1992 • Sustainable growth: 2,240 scholarships for refugees in 41 host countries in 2014 • TOP-5 subjects of study: business &commerce, medical &health, pedagogics, engineering, mathematics & IT • Largest student populations: Afghans, Somali, Congolese, Sudanese, Syrians

  7. DAFI for Syrian refugees • DAFI has rapidly scaled up access for Syrian refugees: from 34 students in 2013 to 144 students in 2014 • New country programmes in Lebanon and Turkey since 2014, expanded programmes in Jordan and Egypt • 200 new scholarships for Syrians in 2015 • Demonstration of high demand: 5,800 applications for 70 scholarships in Turkey in 2015

  8. Connected/ blended learning • Combination of online and onsite learning adapted to refugee contexts (urban, camp-based) • Flexibility in programmes • Expanding and diversifying access to accredited higher education within refugee communities • Complementary approach to scholarships • Jordan: English and IT classes in Amman by JC-HEM • UNHCR’s engagement in operational partnerships: towards a consortium of connected learning partners

  9. Good practices • Clear selection criteria & diverse student cohorts • Reach-out to refugee communities, management of expectations • Investment in broad partnerships • Governments, academic institutions, NGOs, refugee committees • Established student support throughout the programme • Creation of student and graduate networks, peer support • Perspectives beyond studies and the programme • Education and protection response, professional development • Ensuring broader benefits for refugee communities • Volunteering as part of the scholarship, guidance to students

  10. Considerations on scholarships for refugees • Protection and legal status of refugee students • Clarity in legal status of utmost importance • Right to work, prospects after graduation? • Communication with government offices and other actors • Sustainability of scholarships • Coverage of whole degree cycle • Language, academic and psychosocial support • Integration into social networks

  11. Regional Context • Access to higher education important in the region • Providing meaningful education opportunities for youth • Reducing economic vulnerability • Improving livelihoods • Contributing to protection of young people and of their communities • Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (2015 – 2016) • USD 455 million for education, including higher ed needs for 11,000 refugees • Increased Scholarships (COA and third countries) • Complement education and protection strategies • Preserve protection space for refugees in the region

  12. Considerations • Initiatives outside UNHCR should consider: • Protection and safety of refugee students • Requisite precautions to “do no harm” • Lead to durable solutions • Coordination (with protection and education mechanisms) - key to avoid unintended consequences e.g. jeopardizing protection of students including legal status • Principle of long term support – full course of study to complete certification

  13. Considerations • Country of Asylum • Capacity building of local higher education institutions • Necessary support to integrate into the academic environment for social cohesion • Third Countries • Protection against situations of expiry of residency, destitution or forced return as a result of studying abroad • Close coordination with national authorities on legal status, lawful travel, asylum procedures, work placements etc.

  14. Questions and comments? The floor is open for discussion!

More Related