the canadian post-secondary education community’s … · on june 7, 2016, wusc (world university...

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THE CANADIAN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMUNITY’S RESPONSE TO THE REFUGEE CRISISREPORT ON ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

The leadership of Minister McCallum and Immigration,

Refugees, and Citizenship Canada has demonstrated

that when Canadians want to achieve something, we can do

extraordinary things.

Paul Davidson, President, Universities Canada

“

© WUSC (World University Service of Canada) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.September 2016

3 | The Canadian Post-Secondary Education Community’s Response to the Refugee Crisis

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On June 7, 2016, WUSC (World University Service of Canada) convened a roundtable to discuss the role of the Canadian post-secondary education community in providing support to refugees. Participants included university, college, and CEGEP presidents, professors, and students; representatives from UNHCR Canada, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and Global Affairs Canada; Canadian non-profit organizations; and Universities Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada.

The objectives of this half-day meeting were to take stock of the post-secondary community’s response to the global refugee crisis; discuss challenges and share best practices; identify opportunities for greater collaboration and scale; and look toward a more holistic and unified response for the future.

Examples of the post-secondary community’s current response efforts were diverse and comprehensive. They addressed a broad continuum of issues facing people who have recently resettled in Canada as well as those living as refugees in countries of asylum. These include, but are not limited to scholarships and awards; resettlement and integration; language and skills training; in-camp education solutions; and research and learning.

Participants agreed that there remains much more that can and must be done by the post-secondary community and other stakeholders. Recommendations were organized under three calls to action:

▶ Invest in education for refugees, particularly at the tertiary level.

▶ Improve education processes to ensure greater collaboration and scale.

▶ Further establish Canadian leadership on the global stage.


THE GLOBAL CONTEXT GLOBAL DISPLACEMENT HAS REACHED AN ALL-TIME HIGH.In 2015, the number of people forcibly displaced reached a record high of 65.3 million (an increase of nearly 6 million from the year before). More than 12 million of these individuals are believed to have been newly displaced that year. Refugees comprise nearly one third of this displaced population1.

It is not only the overwhelming number of individ-uals who have been displaced that is of global con-cern, but also the increasing length of their displace-ment. Among 33 protracted refugee crises in 2014, the average length of exile was 25 years2. By the end of 2015, nearly one third of all refugees were consid-ered to be in a protracted displacement situation3,4.

As protracted crises remain unresolved and new cri-ses emerge around the world, the number of forcibly displaced persons will continue to grow. While the international community has responded by increas-ing their financial support to displaced populations, they have not been able to meet the growing de-mand. In 2012, UNHCR reported a 39% funding gap between their approved budget and the funds they received; by 2015, the funding gap had reached 48%. Moreover, nearly 85% of the funds received in 2015 were earmarked for specific countries5, leaving little room for flexibility to respond to emerging crises.

DURABLE SOLUTIONS ARE NEEDED TO QUELL THE REFUGEE CRISIS.Durable solutions end the displacement of refugees through one of three routes: local integration, volun-tary repatriation, or resettlement. Though many ref-ugees found a durable solution in 2015, such oppor-tunities are not available to millions of others who remain displaced year after year.

Only 32,000 of the world’s refugees were reported to have locally integrated within their country of asy-lum in 20156, though this is likely a low estimate giv-en that gathering data on local integration is notably difficult. Many countries of asylum face incredible obstacles in providing opportunities for local inte-gration as they must often prioritize meeting the im-mediate needs of the bulk of forcibly displaced pop-ulations. An estimated 86% of the world’s refugees live in developing regions near the border of their country of origin7.

An additional 107,100 refugees were resettled in 20158, representing only 11% of those estimated by UNHCR to be in need of resettlement9. Voluntary re-patriation enabled a further 201,400 refugees to re-turn to their home countries in 2015, the vast majori-ty of whom returned to Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, Central African Republic, and Côte d’Ivoire10. This means that only a total of 340,500 - or less than 0.02% of the global refugee population - secured a durable solution to their displacement in 2015.

The UN Secretary General recently called for coun-tries to provide additional resettlement opportuni-ties to 1.4 million refugees each year, a 92% increase compared to current efforts. He also called for an in-crease in or introduction of additional mechanisms that provide protection, such as education oppor-tunities, humanitarian visas, and employment pro-grams.

THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS HAS MOBILIZED THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY INTO ACTION.Conflict in Syria, now well into its fifth year, has inter-nally displaced an estimated 8.7 million people, and forced an additional 4.8 million people to flee the country in search of protection11. As the number of


forcibly displaced people from the region continues to increase and as they are left with few options in their countries of origin or asylum, many individuals have resorted to making the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean Sea, seeking safety in Europe.

A total of 3,771 individuals - men, women and chil-dren - were reported to have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in 201512. Among them was Alan Kurdi, a young boy who drowned in September of 2015 and whose tragic photograph accelerated the global community’s response. An incredible global movement soon followed which saw many governments, institutions, non-profit organizations, pri-vate sector firms, and individ-uals dedicate time, money, and other resources to the Syrian crisis.

For example, in Greece, where over 800,000 refugees arrived in 2015, individuals and families donated supplies and provid-ed services, such as cooking hot meals. Brazil expanded its spe-cial visa program for people af-fected by the Syrian conflict and has committed to working with UNHCR to improve the effectiveness of this unique program. The United States, in addition to pledging additional spaces for re-settlement, has mobilized its private sector to support the response. Examples include a pledge of $1M USD from Western Union; UPS providing services to ship relief supplies; and McDonald’s donating paid televi-sion airtime to the World Food Programme (WFP).

THE CANADIAN RESPONSE HAS DEMONSTRATED GLOBAL LEADERSHIP.In 2015, Canada was recognized on the world stage for its leadership in responding to the refugee crisis, with the United Nations High Commissioner for Ref-ugees, Filippo Grandi, stating that “the world needs more Canada”.

The Canadian government played a critical role in this re-sponse, surpassing its initial commitment to resettle 25,000 refugees in a remarkably short period of time of just a few months. It has recently commit-ted to resettling an additional 17,000 refugees by the end of 2016.

WUSC’s uniquely Canadian Pri-vate Sponsorship of Refugees Program (PSRP) empowered many individual Canadians to also play an important part in this response. They contributed to their own resources and/or

partnered with private sector companies and public institutions to increase private sponsorship and fa-cilitate integration upon their arrival.

Some examples of Canadian private sector mobili-zation include a $2.5M contribution from the Royal Bank of Canada and McKinsey & Company’s collab-oration with civil society organizations to provide education to refugee youth in Lebanon.

1. UNHCR (2015) Global Trends: Forced displacement in 2015 [report]. Available online: http://www.unhcr.org/statistics/unhcrstats/576408cd7/unhcr-global-trends-2015.html

2. UNHCR (2014) Global Trends: Forced displacement in 2014 [report]. Available online: http://www.unhcr.org/statistics/country/556725e69/unhcr-global-trends-2014.html

3. UNHCR (2015)4. UNHCR defines protracted crises as: “a situation in which 25,000 or more refugees of the same nationality have been in exile for

five years or longer in a given asylum country.” (UNHCR 2015)5. UNHCR (2016) Financials [web page]. Available online: http://reporting.unhcr.org/financial#tabs-financial-contributions.6. UNHCR (2015)7. UNHCR (2015)8. UNHCR (2015)9. UNHCR (2014) UNHCR Projected Global Resettlement Needs [report].

Available online: http://www.unhcr.org/protection/resettlement/543408c4fda/unhcr-projected-global-resettlement-needs-2015.html10. UNHCR (2015)11. UNHCR (2016) Syria Emergency [web page]. Available online: http://www.unhcr.org/syria-emergency.html12. IOM (2016) IOM Counts 3,771 Migrant Fatalities in Mediterranean in 2015 [press release].

Available online: https://www.iom.int/news/iom-counts-3771-migrant-fatalities-mediterranean-2015

“There is an extraordinary sequence of events

happening at the global level. We are witnessing

a real opportunity to really make change,

including unpacking the global refugee regime

and addressing structural deficiencies.”

Dr. James Milner, Carleton University

http://www.unhcr.org/statistics/unhcrstats/576408cd7/unhcr-global-trends-2015.html

http://www.unhcr.org/statistics/country/556725e69/unhcr-global-trends-2014.html

http://reporting.unhcr.org/financial#tabs-financial-contributions

http://www.unhcr.org/protection/resettlement/543408c4fda/unhcr-projected-global-resettlement-needs-2015.html

http://www.unhcr.org/syria-emergency.html

https://www.iom.int/news/iom-counts-3771-migrant-fatalities-mediterranean-2015


THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN RESPONDING TO THE REFUGEE CRISIS A LIFE ON HOLD.Refugees are often forced to put their lives on hold as they leave careers, school, friends, and families behind. Oftentimes, they are unable to legally work in their country of asylum, leaving them with few choices to earn an income and improve their situa-tion. For the 51% of refugees who are under the age of 18, education systems in their country of asylum are not structured to meet their needs, resulting in millions of out-of-school refugee youth.

Even among those who are able to secure a durable solution to their displacement, spending months or years without fair employment and without access to education results in a very difficult transition as they either integrate locally, resettle, or return to their country of origin.

EDUCATION IS KEY TO BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE.Education is one of the most portable skills that can be offered to refugees and ensures smoother integra-tion into a host community, home country upon re-turn, or country of resettlement.

When combined with durable solutions, education provides newcomers with an opportunity to maxi-mize their potential upon arrival in their host coun-try. It can also introduce them to a community of like-minded peers who provide important academ-

ic and social support as refugees navigate this new chapter in their lives.

Education can also bring immense benefits to the host country. Refugee youth add diversity to cam-puses, bringing unique perspectives and alternative academic experiences, knowledge, and skills that can enrich classrooms and communities, fostering a greater global understanding for all.

In the long-term, education opportunities help ref-ugees gain more meaningful employment upon graduation. Education can also equip them with the knowledge and skills to make positive contributions in the lives of their families, in their communities, and around the world.

Ultimately, education offers hope to refugees and their families - hope for a brighter future for them-selves and their countries. This hope is particular-ly dependent on the existence and accessibility of higher education opportunities which can have a ripple effect in refugee camps and contexts, encour-aging youth to continue their studies at the primary and secondary level. Such benefits can also discour-age the pursuit of dangerous alternative solutions, including life-threatening journeys. Moreover, upon graduation, many former refugees begin to focus on supporting their families and communities abroad, whether through the pursuit of family reunification or by supporting the education and training of sib-lings or other community members.


THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY MUST DO MORE TO ENSURE ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION.Despite the incredible potential benefits of educa-tion in refugee contexts, only 50% of refugee children are attending primary school and only 25% of refu-gee adolescents attend secondary school. Less than 1% of refugee youth have access to higher education.

Given the protracted nature of the displacement cri-ses and the high number of youth affected, there is an urgent need to put a greater emphasis on liveli-hoods and education, including increased support for tertiary education.

POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS CAN HELP CLOSE THE EDUCATION GAP.

▶ Increasing opportunities for education

Post-secondary institutions have the resources to expand education opportunities for refugee youth. They can offer scholarships and other fi-nancial resources (e.g. tuition waivers, free res-idence) to support refugee youth in accessing education, whether at partner institutions in countries of asylum or at the institution itself through existing resettlement programs, such as WUSC’s Student Refugee Program. Post-sec-ondary institutions also have the resources and expertise to develop and implement innovative programs, such as distance education initiatives for refugee populations.

▶ Fostering research and expanding knowledge

Post-secondary institutions also offer impor-tant research dimensions to improve global un-derstanding of the causes of and solutions for refugee crises. Moreover, institutions can play an important role connecting and convening important conversations among key stakehold-ers working to reverse the global trends on dis-placement.

▶ Mobilizing communities

Post-secondary institutions are respected lead-ers in their community. They can leverage this position to influence others, engaging students and the broader community to support and bet-ter coordinate efforts for resettlement, educa-tion, skills development, and integration.

▶ Service provision

Post-secondary institutions can also expand upon their particularly close connection to the community and immigrant service organiza-tions to offer language training (including oc-cupational-specific language training), career advice, prior learning assessment, pre-employ-ment programs, bridging programs, employ-ment referrals, internships, cultural interpre-tation (including workshops and customized training), and free health services.


THE CHALLENGES IN PROVIDING EDUCATION IN REFUGEE CONTEXTS CHALLENGES ACCESSING POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONRefugee and recently resettled youth are generally not well supported to identify post-secondary ed-ucation opportunities for which they are eligible, submit their application, and ensure access upon acceptance. Some of these barriers include but are not limited to:

▶ Interruptions in previous education due to con-flict and displacement that make the transition back into school more difficult;

▶ Lack of documentation (e.g. academic tran-scripts, passports), left behind or lost during displacement, which cannot be obtained and which are required for applications to study and obtaining student visas;

▶ Limited flexibility within admissions offices to accommodate incomplete applications, aca-demic interruptions, or previous course failures due to conflict;

▶ Limited processes and guidelines within ad-missions offices to recognize prior education in country of origin and/or country of asylum and lived experiences;

▶ Application and testing processes which are not targeted for displaced populations and thus which can be difficult to navigate;

▶ Student visa pathways as they are often prohib-itively expensive and generally include restric-tions on the student’s ability to legally gain employment and obtain financial aid;

▶ Financial constraints, including the opportunity cost of studying compared to working and cul-tural or religious barriers to accessing student loans or other forms of financial support; and

▶ Cultural barriers that prevent young women in particular from applying and attending.

CHALLENGES WITHIN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION Even upon accessing opportunities, refugees and recently resettled youth continue to face barriers to staying in and successfully completing their educa-tion. These include but are not limited to:

▶ Inadequate support to adapt to a different post-secondary education system including new teaching styles, new writing style guides, new uses of technology (such as course-manage-ment software), and new language of instruc-tion (even with high proficiency);

▶ Support services on campus which are not well promoted to newly arrived students who are unfamiliar with such services

▶ Certain programs and services (e.g. travel loans, some types of financial support) target one par-ticular nationality, creating inequities between newly arrived students; and

▶ Not receiving recognition for previous creden-tials which leads students to repeat courses and entire years of study.


NON-ACADEMIC CHALLENGESOutside of school, refugee and recently resettled youth must also navigate complexities in their home and social lives which can have a significant impact on their ability to pursue their education. These in-clude but are not limited to:

▶ Remaining focused on academics while family members are still in protracted refugee situa-tions or while supporting family members who have resettled with them;

▶ Navigating culture shock, new social situations, and a new identity;

▶ Overcoming loneliness, isolation, and social exclusion, especially in the first six months of resettlement;

▶ Community-level services and supports which are not clearly explained or promoted to newly arrived students;

▶ A greater linguistic capability among youth which creates a responsibility for many to lead family-related communication and deci-sion-making, and which can also result in inter-generational family tensions;

▶ High expectations from their family, facing fe-male youth in particular, for example to assume demanding household responsibilities, which limits greater community involvement and aca-demic pursuit; and

▶ Navigating unique mental health challenges and trauma, in some cases.

SELLA KHOURISRP STUDENT AT CARLETON UNIVERSITYSella is student who arrived in Canada as a refugee from Lebanon in December 2015, originally from Aleppo, Syria. She is studying biology at Carleton University. In Syria, she was studying pharmacy, but was not able to finish her first year due to displacement.

Sella shared her perspectives on the barriers young refugees face in accessing and participating in post-secondary education in Lebanon:

▶ The cost of post-secondary education (especially given that no assistance is provided by the government);

▶ Distance and other accessibility barriers to post-secondary institutions;

▶ The language of instruction as in Syria, students study in Arabic, but in Lebanon they study in French or English;

▶ A lack of recognition of credentials from country of origin;

▶ A lack of formal documents, including a valid passport;

▶ The pressure to find employment (informal employment, as it is illegal for Syrian refugees to work in Lebanon) to support themselves and their families; and

▶ The high cost of living in Lebanon.

Syrians did not plan to leave; they had to leave immediately. Nobody brought anything with them, like official documents, which makes it hard for them to have their credentials accepted. Syrians need to go back, but they cannot. So they work in Lebanon and halt their education. In my opinion, programs like WUSC’s Student Refugee Program really help because they give a second chance to students. Education is the only way to end the war and rebuild the country again.

Sella Khouri, Student, Carleton University

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THE RESPONSE OF THE CANADIAN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMUNITY TO THE GLOBAL REFUGEE CRISIS OVERVIEWThe following examples illustrate a sample of pro-grams and initiatives that Canadian post-secondary institutions, along with community partners, have undertaken to respond to the Syrian refugee cri-sis specifically, and the global refugee crisis more broadly.

This response has grown significantly in recent months and has been unique in the world in its abili-ty to coordinate efforts across the country and across sectors. This response has mobilized nearly full par-ticipation from the Canadian post-secondary educa-tion community.

Canadian post-secondary institutions have a long history of supporting refugee students through WUSC’s Student Refugee Program which first began in 1978 and which now partners with more than 80 institutions across the country. The current response builds upon this robust history to open new path-ways for education and resettlement and scale up our impact.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDSCanadian universities, colleges, and CEGEPs have made significant financial contributions toward the education of refugee and newcomer youth through

WUSC’S STUDENT REFUGEE PROGRAM (SRP)COMBINING RESETTLEMENT WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGHER EDUCATIONWhile other programs around the world offer refugee youth temporary solutions through special student visas for refugees, the Student Refugee Program (SRP) is currently the only program in the world to combine post-secondary education with resettlement, offering refugee youth permanent residency through the education pathway.

The SRP is made possible through the unique Canadian private sponsorship model, which allows for pathways to citizenship and ensures newcomers have access to employment opportunities and financial assistance. Operating since 1978, with the support of dozens of Canadian post-secondary partners, the SRP has enabled more than 1,600 young refugees to resettle in Canada and continue their post-secondary education in safe and supportive environments.

The SRP rests upon a unique peer-to-peer youth model of sponsorship which has been pivotal to the program’s success. This network connects young newcomers to services on campus and to a community of peers who offer critical academic and

social support. The additional advocacy work that students do on campus to raise awareness about the global refugee crisis also contributes to the creation of welcoming communities across the country.

In 2016, increased support from students and their institutions across the country led to a doubling of the number of students that were accepted through the program (from 80 in 2015 to 160 in 2016). Prior to this, there were 60 sponsoring committees, mostly universities with a few colleges and CEGEPs. This September, that number increased to 80 and is expected to grow particularly among colleges and CEGEPs. This is because there is an opportunity to engage a different demographic and because it would create faster pathways to employment.

The SRP is a successful model that the UNHCR and others are seeking to share globally. WUSC looks forward to working with IRCC, UNHCR, and the post-secondary community to share this model with other countries and to showcase the leadership of the Canadian post-secondary community on the refugee response.

Is the SRP A drop in the bucket? WUSC resettles more than Ireland, Brazil, Portugal, and Chile. It is a small niche program, but it does have a huge impact on the small number of students it supports. But the greatest impact the SRP could have would be to share its model of private sponsorship internationally.

Dr. James Milner, Carleton University

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a multitude of scholarships, bursaries, and other fi-nancial awards. These awards range from covering partial costs of one full year of tuition to multi-year commitments that last the full duration of an aca-demic program. Some awards also include financial support for associated living costs, including resi-dence fees and meal plans. These awards have been established through a diverse range of activities, in-cluding fundraising efforts, student levies, waivers, the use of special funds, or a combination of some or all of these methods.

For example, in January 2016 the University of Cal-gary announced bursaries of $6,000 CAD each for 33 newcomers. To cover the cost of these bursaries, the university committed to matching up to $100,000 of donations raised by students, faculty, staff, and alu-mni. Likewise, the University of Prince Edward Is-land announced that they would support up to ten students living in Syria with one full year of tuition through a newly formed UPEI Syrian Student Proj-ect. Each scholar would also be provided with a lap-top and English language classes. The University of Toronto committed to matching up to $500,000 of donations for the creation of 100 bursaries valued at $10,000 CAD each through Massey Colleges’ Schol-ars at Risk.

Civil society organizations have also provided finan-cial support for student refugees to continue their education. Jusoor, for example, focuses on helping Syrian students find opportunities for higher edu-cation. Founded in 2011 by Syrian expatriates, they have to-date supported 300 students. Jusoor aims to complement WUSC’s Student Refugee Program by focusing on students who cannot resettle in Canada and those who have arrived in Canada already.

IMPROVING THE RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING AND CREDENTIALSCanadian post-secondary education institutions have a wealth of experience related to the assess-ment of diverse prior learning and credential con-texts. Over the past year, they have continued to build upon this experience in an effort to overcome the admissions barriers for refugee youth. World Ed-ucation Services (WES), a non-profit organization that assesses international credentials, is piloting an important new initiative among Syrian students to assist institutions in this process. They have devel-oped an alternative assessment model for students, indicating equivalent level of education along with

the evidence base for that conclusion. This model also includes the means to partially reconstruct a student’s academic history. WES is seeking to scale this model up in 2017 to include other countries of crisis as well.

RESETTLEMENT AND COMMUNITY INTEGRATIONPost-secondary institutions have also been combin-ing education with resettlement primarily through WUSC’s Student Refugee Program. They have re-cently expanded upon these efforts to provide reset-tlement and integration support more broadly.

For example, Ryerson University launched a joint initiative, the Ryerson University Lifeline Syria Chal-lenge (RULSC), in collaboration with OCAD Univer-sity, the University of Toronto, and York University, to provide private sponsorship groups across Canada with information, resources, and other supports to assist them in the resettlement of Syrian refugees. The RULSC program has been designed to also pro-vide experiential learning and applied research op-portunities for participating students. Norquest Col-lege launched an initiative to help prepare several rural communities in Alberta in the welcoming and integration of newcomers. They are also building the capacity of the private sponsorship groups in these communities to offer resettled families language training and other services.

Institutions have also played a more direct role in sponsorship and integration efforts. At King’s Uni-versity College, the football team assisted a family of three who had been sponsored by the institution to move into their new home in December of 2015 after living in a townhouse on campus since their arrival in August of the same year. The University of Manitoba’s departments of dentistry and medicine mobilized to provide health kits to recently reset-tled Syrians in Canada. The University of Saskatch-ewan has partnered with Canadian Roots Exchange to encourage the participation of refugee youth in programs designed to build awareness and relation-ships between aboriginal and non-aboriginal youth in Canada.

LANGUAGE TRAINING, SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, AND CAREER COUNSELLINGSeveral Canadian universities, colleges, and CEGEPs have also provided short-term training programs to

CENTENNIAL COLLEGENAVIGATING THE COLLEGE LANDSCAPECentennial College’s main campus in the eastern Greater Toronto Area has historically served a predominantly marginalized population. Well above Ontario averages, 63% of Centennial students are born outside Canada and 48% speak English as a second language. The campus also has a higher first generation student population than most post-secondary education institutions in Canada. As a result, the college already has many supports in place that could assist refugee populations in the transition to life in Canada.

In 2015, Centennial made a commitment to provide ten refugee students with scholarships to attend their college. Administration looked at both the resources available internally and externally to achieve this goal. The college consulted campus counsellors to ensure they could meet the counselling needs of resettled students. They started webinars for faculty members and staff, updating on the refugee crisis and current resettlement efforts around the world. They reached out to universities and colleges based in the United States to better understand how their refugee support programs operate. The college also organized a series of awareness-raising events on campus on the refugee crisis and global displacement more broadly.

In terms of funding, Centennial has tried to explore alternative funding models to the student levy in consideration of the high needs of this unique population; approximately 87% of domestic students at Centennial take on students loans. Currently, Centennial administration has formed a central working group to navigate participation in WUSC’s Student Refugee Program. This group is housed in the Centre of Global Citizenship Education and Inclusion, is comprised of managerial-level staff, and is a truly cross-departmental committee. The college is expecting their first student to arrive on campus through the SRP in September 2016.

We have a bridging program already. We have counselling programs. We have student success advisors, and we are hiring more of them to ensure that each advisor is catering to a smaller number of students and therefore is better able to meet their needs. We have a large number of programs that exist already that could potentially help our refugee students.

Punita Lumb, GCE Research and Education Strategist, Centre for Global Citizenship Education and Inclusion, Centennial College

“


meet the more immediate integration needs of new-comers in the community. For example the Univer-sity of Victoria’s Division of Continuing Studies has dedicated $25,000 CAD to work with local refugee aid organizations in the provision of language and job skills training. George Brown College organized a three-week program specifically for female new-comers to assist them in personal and professional exploration and development. College Montmo-rency collaborated with the province of Québec to arrange for two social workers to be present during French language training sessions for resettled youth. They also provided workshops for newcomers on the post-secondary pathways that were available to them through the college.

RESEARCH AND LEARNINGCanadian researchers and scholars have also sup-ported efforts to address the global refugee crisis through several research and learning initiatives. Re-search is a well known strength and core mandate of post-secondary education institutions and they are well respected for their ability to engage in deep en-quiry and make sense of emerging issues and trends. Through existing and new research and learning opportunities, Canadian institutions have played a critical role to help communities and governments better understand and navigate the global response to the refugee crisis, bringing evidence to bear on policy and practice.

For example, Dalhousie University is leading the Ca-nadian Refugee Child, Youth and Family Research Coalition, with support from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and IRCC, in collaboration with over 60 researchers from across the country, dozens of resettlement organizations. With support from federal and provincial govern-ment departments, the coalition is researching the experiences of young former refugees to better un-derstand the factors that facilitate children’s success in four areas of their lives: language acquisition, lit-eracy, and engagement in learning; social integra-tion and countering violent extremism; mental and physical well-being; and economic stability.

In 2007, Seneca College began a new social work program with curriculum designed to specifically re-spond to the needs of immigrant and refugee clients. A two-year program, presently 80% of students are newcomers themselves. Graduation and placements for this unique program are exceptionally high.

IN-CAMP EDUCATION SUPPORTCanadian post-secondary institutions have also re-sponded to the increasing role that universities, colleges, and CEGEPs play in reaching refugees who are living in countries and regions of asylum with life-changing education opportunities. Although a more emerging area of practice, there have been a number of promising early results.

A notable example is the Borderless Higher Educa-tion for Refugees (BHER) initiative which, with finan-cial support from the Canadian government, aims to deliver gender equitable teacher training programs at certificate and diploma levels to working, un-trained teachers who can then contribute back to the community, increasing and improving education in the camps overall. Key BHER partners include York University, the University of British Columbia, Ken-yatta University and Moi University in Kenya, UN-HCR and Windle Trust Kenya. Other universities are involved in improving access to and strengthening the quality of education in refugee camps (from pri-mary to tertiary), including the University of Ottawa in collaboration with the American University in Bei-rut, WUSC, and Caritas International.

UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWACOMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT FOR REFUGEES AND NEWCOMERS IN CANADAThe University of Ottawa, with the support of several departments, community organizations, and peer institutions, has been coordinating six distinct yet complementary initiatives to support refugees and newcomers in Canada and private sponsorship groups across the country.

The first initiative is in the form of their ongoing support for WUSC’s Student Refugee Program, for which they have been a partner of several years. Recently, the university expanded their scholarship funds through a second initiative which aims to also provide financial support to students who have already resettled in Canada.

The third initiative is their student-driven Refugee Sponsorship Support Program. This initiative sought to address the overwhelming number of requests for help from private sponsorship groups by mobilizing University of Ottawa law students to become involved. They began by training 15 students to support sponsoring groups to better understand relevant legal concerns. During an initial pop-up event, 80 lawyers partnered with 30 students to support 400 sponsoring groups in the community in just one night. They have since trained over 1,000 lawyers and 300 law students in 11 cities across the country and are now active on ten Canadian campuses.

The fourth initiative is led by professors within the Faculty of Engineering and the Telfer School of Management. Building upon their existing ‘Maker’s Space’ program, which aims to put the tools (e.g. 3D printers) into the hands of people who have the needs and motivations to use them and uncover new solutions, they are expanding this program to support refugees by piloting a new phase in Lebanon. Through their related ‘Difference Makers’ program, the professors have replicated the Maker’s Space model for the broader Ottawa community, where they have met many newcomer youth interested in attending university. They are now seeking to facilitate their entry into the institution by working with the University of Ottawa administration.

The fifth initiative is an ‘Education Pathway’ program, which is supporting 50 individuals of all ages to access language training, career coaching, and admissions and retention support.

Their final initiative is their Certificate in Community Mobilization in Crisis. Created by University of Ottawa president, Allan Rock, this program is led by the Faculty of Social Sciences in partnership with WUSC, the American University of Beirut, and the Caritas Migrant Centre in Lebanon. It seeks to ensure the accessibility of higher education for refugees not yet able to be resettled through opportunities for distance education. The program also seeks to address similar obstacles to admissions and retention with which many initiatives in Canada are currently grappling.

In the fall of 2015, we were inundated with requests for help. People were coming out of the woodwork asking for help with private sponsorship. People who knew nothing about the refugee system were wanting to sponsor refugees and needed the support.

Jennifer Bond, Faculty Director, Refugee Hub and Refugee Sponsorships Support Program, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa

“


CONCLUSIONThe participants of the roundtable agreed that education is among the most important priorities for displaced populations, next to food, water, and shelter. Many of the initiatives presented at the roundtable - both current and planned - were built upon the conviction that higher education can be an effective, proven means to foster improved integration as well. Ultimately, participants acknowledged that refugee youth have unique needs and strengths and they require a unique response to realize their full potential.

Overall, participants indicated that engaging all levels of the institution is a key contributing factor to providing a sustainable, holistic response. Similarly, they agreed that partnerships between institutions and other stakeholders across Canada, particularly resettlement and integration organizations, is pivotal in building momentum and expanding their reach. The central role of the unique Canadian Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program in empowering institutions and their communities to directly contribute to Canada’s response also featured prominently throughout the discussion.


RECOMMENDATIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS The post-secondary community in Canada is uniquely placed, given its experience, resources, and embedded-ness within the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program, to respond to the educational needs of refugee youth, and support broader efforts for resettlement and integration. As valued members of their community, post-sec-ondary institutions can also play a role beyond education, providing resettlement and integration support to refugee youth and their families through partnerships with like-minded actors.

The immense need over the past year has inspired a great deal of innovative thinking and approaches at the institutional and community levels to improve our local and national refugee response. Across initiatives, a priority for the months and years to come must be to continue to foster that innovation, as well as ensuring a system or process to capture the learning that is taking place and translate it back into practice.

Canadian post-secondary institutions have been key stakeholders in our response and should continue to occu-py this position of national and global leadership. But they cannot do it alone. We must also strive to create and nurture further partnerships to leverage additional resources and scale up our response.

The following recommendations are summarized under three central calls to action:

1. Invest in education for refugees, particularly at the tertiary level.

2. Improve education processes to ensure greater collaboration and scale.

3. Further establish Canadian leadership on the global stage.

INVEST IN EDUCATION FOR REFUGEESCanadian post-secondary institutions should com-mit not only to sustaining, but also further increas-ing their financial and other support for refugee ed-ucation. Investments in education should focus both on where the need is greatest in refugee camps and contexts, but also for those who have found a dura-ble solution, particularly those youth who have been resettled in Canada. Education programs for recently resettled youth should ensure the integration of lan-guage training and counselling support to achieve improved retention and graduation rates. Such sup-port should also include focus on related pre- and post-education services, including training on inter-cultural and academic skills prior to enrollment, and employment services upon graduation.

Investments made overseas should leverage existing transnational institutional partners to increase the number of opportunities for higher education avail-able to refugee youth through distance/online and on-site education programs. Canadian post-second-ary institutions can also advocate for the provision of education for refugees at all levels, from primary to tertiary, as part of Canada’s international rapid re-sponse to prevent further interruptions in education.

Universities, colleges, and CEGEPs can also play an important role in mobilizing other stakeholders, including governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector to make similar investments, particularly at the tertiary level. These multi-sectoral investments should prioritize space and support to test and scale-up innovative models, particularly those that leverage Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.


IMPROVE EDUCATION PROCESSESFulfilling the commitments of Canadian post-sec-ondary institutions will require substantial invest-ments and improvements in existing processes with-in institutions and education systems, particularly for establishing admissions procedures that better respond to the needs of refugee youth. Both the stan-dardization of admissions for students arriving from countries of crisis within and across institutions, and a greater ability for admission offices to remain flexible when faced with incomplete appli-cations and/or missing documentation in these contexts, will be key to increasing the number of the refugee youth who are able to access higher education.

Processes must also be developed to better co-ordinate and dissemi-nate the various educa-tion opportunities that are currently available to refugee youth through Canadian institutions and partnerships. The creation, and ongoing updating, of an online portal, such as that which was developed by the Council of Ontario Universities for aboriginal learners, is strongly recommended.

Investments should also be made to further build ca-pacity within post-secondary institutions to respond to the refugee crisis, including training and aware-ness-raising opportunities for faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP ON THE WORLD STAGEWe are in a unique moment where the international community is looking to Canada for its leadership in responding to the global refugee crisis and in paving the way for increased education opportunities for refugee youth. We have the political will, multi-facet-ed and long-standing experience, innovative models, and broad social consensus for supporting refugee populations. Canada, including the government, in-

stitutions, private sector, and civil society should leverage this to create an even stronger and more coordinated in-ternational approach to increase our impact and encourage other coun-tries to do the same.

A priority in these efforts should be the sharing of our unique Private Sponsorship of Refu-gees Program, including sharing the technical aspects involved, inno-vative examples within (such as the Student Ref-ugee Program), and the key elements required for success. Attention should be given to the

role of social media in mobilizing broad public sup-port for this program given the important role of civil society enthusiasm and engagement.

This support should not be limited to the bureaucrat-ic level. Canadian institutions can support their over-seas partners to advocate their own governments for private sponsorship and programs such as the SRP. Students can be engaged in the process, for example by encouraging visiting international students on Canadian campuses to join their WUSC Local Com-mittee and learn more about our model.

“There is much to be celebrated in the Canadian and post-secondary

response to the Syrian crisis. But we have to put this in a broader context.

When you compare the 25,000 Syrian refugees resettled to Canada to the approximately 250,000 newcomers Canada usually takes - regardless of politics - or compared to 60 million

people displaced around the world...This is a good response, but it is a small one. There are millions more

refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Thailand...” Dr. Stephen Toope, Director, Munk School for Global

Affairs, University of Toronto

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