Student Refugee Program

The world is watching: the 2024 Paris Olympics are starting this week. On this exciting occasion, we caught up with Paulo Amotun Lokoro, athlete, recent graduate in social work from Sheridan College, and alum of the Student Refugee Program. Paulo is a track and field athlete who has competed in many elite sporting events as…

In celebration of World Refugee Awareness Month, we align with UNHCR’s theme of solidarity with refugees, highlighting that “solidarity means keeping our doors open, celebrating their strengths and achievements, and reflecting on the challenges they face.” The theme of solidarity resonates with one of WUSC’s campaigns, Building Welcoming Communities, as our Local Committee members, volunteers and colleagues play…

This year, World Refugee Day focuses on solidarity with refugees – for a world where all refugees are welcomed.  Durable solutions to forced displacement and welcoming communities for refugees are needed more than ever. And everyone has a role to play. Governments, NGOs, community organizations, post-secondary institutions, businesses, and refugees themselves are all essential to…

In 2019 , UNHCR and partners set a goal to reach 15% enrollment of refugees in higher education by 2030.  This report lays out the specific actions stakeholders can take to support efforts to achieve and exceed the 15by30 target, across five distinct higher education pathways, which are national enrollment, higher education scholarships, connected higher…

Fuelled by new and protracted crises, forced displacement continues to be a challenge and requires urgent and collective action.  At the Global Refugee Forum, the world will unite to tackle challenges facing refugees and host communities.  The Global Refugee Forum is the world’s largest gathering on refugees and will provide an opportunity to build on…

In 2019, WUSC made a series of pledges at the first-ever Global Refugee Forum (GRF). In collaboration with our partners and networks, we committed to expanding and championing education pathways and refugee inclusion in our work.   Four years later, we want to express our gratitude to our networks and partners for the progress we have…

*This is a guest post by Floribert Kakule Kamabu, RN. He first encountered WUSC three decades ago, and continues to contribute his experience as a member of the Student Refugee Program Alumni Advisory Team. The numbers can seem daunting: close to half of all school-aged refugee youth (48%) remain out of school, as reported by…

*This is a guest post by Priscillah Panchol. She graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in 2021, and continues to contribute her experience as a member of the Student Refugee Program Alumni Advisory Team. As an alum of WUSC’s Student Refugee Program, I resonate very well with the core belief “Education changes the world’. The…

Congratulations to the newest cohort of graduates from the Student Refugee Program! Many of our new grads are now preparing to begin a new stage in their lives, from pursuing further studies in their fields of interest to moving to a different city or country to embarking on a new career path.  Access to post-secondary…

Around the world, only 6% of refugees have access to higher education, according to UNHCR.  When accessing higher education systems, refugee students are confronted with many challenges, including high tuition fees and living costs, legal restrictions, and strict language requirements.  Increasing access to higher education among refugees is key to building an inclusive and sustainable…