What is the humanitarian-development nexus regarding refugees?

It's the space where emergency response and development objectives converge. UNHCR is focusing on how higher education can bridge this gap, enabling refugees to transition into work and contribute to their host countries.

How can universities support refugees in protracted crises?

Beyond scholarships, universities can address structural barriers, revise selection procedures, cooperate on document recognition, provide academic and well-being support, and foster inclusive campus environments through community outreach and policy advocacy.

What challenges do exiled students face in France?

Exiled students face challenges in identification of needs, lack of information, inadequate linguistic support, administrative hurdles, unstable living conditions, and restrictions on working hours, impacting their ability to pursue higher education and integrate.

What are the key recommendations for supporting exiled students in higher education?

Recommendations include establishing welcoming policies, prioritizing social integration, reducing bureaucratic obstacles, recognizing asylum seekers as full students, training university staff, ensuring access to language training, and improving material living conditions through scholarships and housing.

How does the Demello Chairs Program contribute to refugee protection?

The program enhances university capacity to understand and engage with refugee issues through teaching, research, and outreach. It promotes localized knowledge production and evidence-based policy recommendations.

What role do refugees play in national development in Kenya?

The new Refugee Act in Kenya aims to promote local integration, allowing refugees to contribute to national development. Advocates emphasize that when refugees are empowered and included in policy discussions, they can bring skills, innovation, and trust to communities.

What are the main drivers for the expansion of the Demello Chairs Program?

The program's expansion is driven by the significant arrival of Venezuelans in Brazil and the implementation of humanitarian visa policies, allowing for broader inclusion of refugees and displaced persons into the education system across different regions.

What are the particularities of Lebanon's context regarding refugee integration?

Lebanon, a small country with a high refugee population, faces weak infrastructure. Universities operate within restrictive state regulations, highlighting the need for youth agency and international agency support to drive change and ensure legal status for students.

Why is collaboration with the government crucial for refugee integration?

Working with the state and government, alongside international agencies, is essential for developing inclusive policies, regulatory changes, and providing necessary support systems that enable refugees to access education and opportunities, fulfilling their potential.

Key Moments

Higher Education in the Humanitarian Development Nexus - Migration Summit 2023

MIT OpenCourseWare

Education3 min read75 min video

Apr 18, 2023|96 views|4

migration displacement livelihoods refugees education workforce development MIT ReACT storytelling migration summit humanitarian development

Save to Pod

Key Moments

TL;DR

Higher education's crucial role in refugee inclusion, national development, and bridging humanitarian aid with long-term solutions.

Key Insights

Higher education institutions are vital for transforming conflict zones into stable development environments.

Inclusive higher education is essential in countries hosting refugees, requiring universities to address structural barriers beyond just scholarships.

Refugee-led organizations and student advocacy play a critical role in shaping policies and community development.

Localization of knowledge production and evidence-based research are key for developing context-specific solutions for displaced persons.

Effective integration of refugees requires collaboration between universities, governments, NGOs, and refugees themselves.

Adapting to changing contexts, maintaining relevance, and fostering well-being are crucial for universities supporting displaced students.

THE SHIFT FROM HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE TO DEVELOPMENT

Historically, UNHCR's focus has been emergency educational response, aiming for children to be back in school within three months of displacement. However, protracted conflicts mean prolonged displacement, necessitating higher education opportunities for refugee youth. This transition shifts UNHCR's role from purely humanitarian to integrating development objectives, preparing refugees for employment and contribution to host societies. This realignment is critical for the humanitarian-development nexus, linking emergency aid with long-term stability and growth.

UNIVERSITIES AS CATALYSTS FOR INCLUSION AND DEVELOPMENT

Higher education institutions are crucial in fostering national development trajectories, especially in countries of first asylum. Beyond offering scholarships, universities must dismantle structural barriers, including financial costs and opportunity costs. This involves revising selection procedures, validating prior learning, and providing robust academic and psycho-social support. Creating welcoming and inclusive campus environments is paramount for social cohesion and modeling respect for diversity. Ultimately, universities can drive social impact by engaging in community development projects and policy advocacy.

EMPOWERING REFUGEES THROUGH STUDENT LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY

Student-led organizations and refugee advocates are powerful agents of change, influencing policy-making and community development. These groups champion inclusive policies, promote self-reliance, and amplify the voices of displaced learners. Their efforts in advocacy, policy, and innovation are vital for shaping development trajectories and fostering more inclusive societies. The active participation of refugees in these processes, embodying the principle of 'nothing about us without us,' is fundamental to achieving meaningful inclusion and progress.

ADDRESSING CHALLENGES FOR EXILED STUDENTS

Exiled students face significant hurdles, including a lack of needs identification, limited information on rights and services, and linguistic barriers. Administrative complexities, unstable living conditions, and precarious legal statuses create immense challenges to pursuing education. Recommendations include establishing welcoming policies, integrating exiled individuals as full students, ensuring proper staff training on their specific needs, and providing comprehensive language support. Addressing material living conditions, scholarships, and access to housing is critical for their academic success and overall well-being.

THE DEMELLO CHAIRS PROGRAM: A MODEL FOR ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT

The Demello Chairs program, a partnership between UNHCR and universities, exemplifies how academia can engage with refugee and forced displacement issues. Its goals of teaching, research, and outreach contribute to the humanitarian-development endeavor by producing localized knowledge, sustaining evidence-based policies, and facilitating access to rights and services. The program's expansion from Brazil to other countries highlights its potential as a replicable model for enhancing university capacity and promoting refugee protection globally.

LOCALIZATION, SOLIDARITY, AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA

In Kenya, ongoing efforts aim to promote local integration and refugee inclusion in national development. While progressive laws exist, practical implementation faces administrative and perceptual challenges. The University of Nairobi's journalism program and initiatives like the Tertiary Refugee Student Network emphasize education as an equalizer and a pathway to self-reliance. The concept of meaningful participation underscores the need for refugees to be at the policymaking table, contributing their skills and ideas for collective growth and societal progress.

CONTEXT-SPECIFIC CHALLENGES AND INTERSECTING SOLUTIONS

The contexts in Lebanon and Brazil present distinct challenges, yet underscore common needs. Lebanon's situation, with its small country size and strained infrastructure, highlights the difficulty of integrating a large displaced population within existing systems. Brazil's experience with Venezuelan arrivals and its 'interiorization' program showcases adapting national strategies. Both contexts emphasize the imperative for collaboration between higher education institutions, governments, and international agencies to navigate legal, financial, and social barriers, ensuring sustainable development for all.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Organizations

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Common Questions

The Migration Summit 2023 explores the theme 'co-creating pathways for learning, livelihoods, and dignity' for refugee communities.

Topics

Refugee Crisis Development Nexus Student Advocacy Inclusive Education Academic Initiatives Brazil

Mentioned in this video

People

Jean-Marie Ishimwe

Partnerships and Advocacy Lead for Youth Voices Community in Kenya, a refugee-led organization, and leader of the Tertiary Refugee Student Network.

Sergio Vieira de Mello

The Brazilian UN official after whom the Demello chairs program is named.

Legislation & Policy

Global Compact on Refugees

An international agreement that the Global Academic Interdisciplinary Network emanates from.

Refugee Act 2021

A new law in Kenya that seeks to promote local integration and inclusion of refugees in national development.

Global Compacts on Refugees

International agreements that the Demello chairs program aligns with and supports.

Organizations

French National Assembly

Samahar previously worked as a parliamentary assistant in this institution.

American University of Beirut (AUB)

Maha Haider Maki is the Director of the MasterCard Foundation Scholarship Program at this university.

OPI (French Office for Immigration and Integration)

This office provides directives that can move individuals to remote housing standards, impacting their studies.

Youth Voices Community

A refugee-led organization in Kenya that amplifies and advocates for inclusive policies promoting refugee self-reliance and inclusion.

Center of Civic Engagement

A center at AUB through which students engage in community projects.

Columbia Law

Liliana was a visiting scholar at this institution.

Nudge Lebanon

Maha Haider Maki is a co-founder of this non-profit that applies behavioral science to public policy challenges.

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Liliana is an IOM migration researcher and a member of its migration research leaders syndicate.

Global Academic Interdisciplinary Network

A network that emanates from the global compact on refugees, co-chaired by Liliana.

Union of Exiled Students

Samahar represents this organization, advocating for exiled students.

Found this useful? Build your knowledge library

Get AI-powered summaries of any YouTube video, podcast, or article in seconds. Save them to your personal pods and access them anytime.

Try Summify free