SOAS joins new coalition to support refugee students

Responding to the urgent need for improved higher education access for refugees and their communities, SOAS University of London has joined 14 leading universities in Africa, Asia and North America to launch the Global University Academy.  

With just over 7% of the world’s fast-growing refugee population having access to higher education resources, the coalition was created to help support the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR’s goal of raising this figure to 15% by 2030. The Global University Academy will respond with mutual support to immediate refugee crises, while developing long-term resources for refugees and individuals affected by displacement in multiple contexts.

We are acutely aware of people who do not have access to higher education and there is an urgent need to remove barriers that many refugees will face.

Professor Joanna Newman, Provost and Deputy Vice Chancellor at SOAS said: “We are acutely aware of people who do not have access to higher education and there is an urgent need to remove barriers that many refugees will face. We are therefore very proud to support this initiative where we can work to improve access as part of this global coalition.” 

Over the next 18 months, partners will develop a robust framework for foundation and bachelor’s degree level programs that are co-developed and locally embedded. The work will focus on mutual recognition of courses, assuring courses are relevant and of high standards, collaborating with local partners, securing long-term financial support, and evaluating the impact of the initiative.  

To develop its long-term response, the Global University Academy will seek out potential university partners whose local communities have been impacted by large numbers of refugees, to ensure a truly robust model can be co-created from the start.  

The Global University Academy will also build on the input of potential learners in refugee communities, refugee-led organizations, and other global voices. Local and global support is also pledged through the Norwegian Refugee Council, which already supports over 1 million refugee learners in primary and secondary education in over 40 countries, and UNHCR.  

The Grieg Foundation has provided initial support for the development of the GUA. 

University partners 

Arizona State University; Humboldt University of Berlin; KU Leuven; Norwegian University of Life Sciences; PSL University; SOAS, University of London; Southern New Hampshire University; Stellenbosch University; University of Bergen; University of Cape Town; UCLouvain; University of Hamburg; University of Oslo; University of Oxford 

Non-university partners

Norwegian Refugee Council; UNHCR; SAIH