TOGETHER

Since the starting of the so called “refugees’ crisis” in Europe in 2015, many actions have been undertaken both at European and national level with the specific aim of fostering refugees integration in Higher Education.
Institutions at EU level and networks and associations of universities have studied the main questions related to the possibility of building more inclusive HE institutions by favouring the enrolment of refugees and migrants with international protection status. Such enrolment is a very ambitious goal considering that, according to several analyses, people with a refugee background are five times more likely not to be enrolled in education than their non-refugee peers (UNESCO, 2016) and only 1% of youth with refugee background access tertiary education, compared to an access level of 34% globally among the youth (UNHCR, 2016).
Among the factors precluding such access certainly the lack of qualifications recognition and tuition fees play an important role (Refugees Welcome, European Students’ Union, 2017).
At the same time, it is evident that questions related to building more inclusive HE systems cannot rely purely on a regulatory level and that efforts need to concentrate on developing awareness and competences at academic level (students, staff, administration) to make sure that refuges and migrants not only “get in touch” with academic life, but receive a true welcome there.
TARGET GROUPS and NEEDS
Within the above described context Higher education institutions are still perceived as “ivory towers” which are not open to diversity and to which disadvantaged groups have not real access opportunities. At the same time, students are seldom involved in activities aimed at directly put them in touch with other stakeholders to foster their global citizenship competences.
University staff and even more students need to have an open-minded approach to the presence of “different” students. In other words, they need to have developed sound intercultural and civic competences.
OBJECTIVES
The project identifies two main specific objectives:
- Developing social responsibility of Higher Education students providing them with intercultural and civic competences as well as raising their awareness on integration of refugees issues and having them working together with refugees and stakeholders of the third sector (NGOs) in order to play their potential key role in making University more inclusive and in the longer term contribute to the integration of refugees in their local communities
- Rise awareness of Higher Education staff at all level (academic and administrative), providing specific instruments, knowledge and skills in order to make them effective protagonists of improved conditions for a more inclusive Higher education environment
RESULTS and IMPACT
The project will produce the following main outputs and related results:

• Refugee Welcome Map
• E-learning package
• Guidelines