Access for Refugees Into Higher Education: A Review of Interventions in North America and Europe

Abstract

This paper examines current interventions to reduce barriers to access into higher education for refugees in North America and Europe. We analyze a diversity of interventions sponsored by host governments, higher education institutions, foundations, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals. These interventions differ in size, delivery method, focus, and extent of support, and range from a single language course or limited online learning opportunity to fully accredited higher education programs. However, significant problems hamper the efficacy of many current interventions. We examine providers’ rationales for working with refugees using Knight and De Wit’s rationales for internationalization of higher education, later reconceptualized in four interrelated groups of rationales: academic, political, economic, and socio-cultural. To these, we propose adding a fifth category: humanism. To widen refugee participation and success in higher education, we suggest that policy makers and administrators should adopt a longer-term perspective, increase transparency, and use evidence-based approaches to develop and evaluate refugee programming.

What Works for Underrepresented Groups? Identifying Effective Measures for Enhancing Access to Higher Education in Europe

“…Lack of adequate, reliable and consistently collected data is often used as an excuse for the lack of action towards more equitable systems, but it also hinders the option of evidence-based policy-making or of measuring the impact of the initiatives already put into practice. Referring to specific measures targeting refugees, Streitwieser et al (2019) argue that while sponsors described their plans for supporting refugees, they often do not share the amount of funding, the number of beneficiaries impacted, and other key data.…”

Internationalization aimed at global social justice

“…Understanding that the contemporary migratory crisis is a societal issue to which internationalization efforts might be intentionally addressed -so far, around 70,8 million people were forced to leave their places of origin for different types of conflict (UNHCR, 2019b) -Streitwieser, Miller-Idriss and de Wit (2017, p. 29) argue that "universities' reception of refugees ought to be understood within broader higher education internationalization frameworks and global engagements". In this line, Streitwieser et al (2019) collect empirical data on barriers of access to higher education faced by refugees in North America and Europe, and propose adding 'humanism' as a fifth category in Knight and de Wit's (1995) rationales for internationalization of higher education (academic, political, economic and socio-cultural). Accordingly, Ergin, de Wit and Leask (2019) put forth the concept of 'forced internationalization', defining it as an intentional, strategic emerging phenomenon that addresses the three core functions of universities, and is aimed at integrating people who have been forcibly displaced as a result of conflict, violence, or persecution.…”

Higher Education and Solidarity? The Integration of Refugee Students at Austrian Universities

“…language or cultural barriers. Some of those efforts were tied to long running, best practice programs like DAFI the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative-sponsored by the UNHCR, while others were more specifically tailored to national or even university level demand (for an overview see Streitwieser et al, 2018). Among those is the Austrian MORE initiativea unique, national programthat provides solidarity to those who were displaced and aims to help refugees to ingrate into the new host society.…”