Student Refugee Program

Imagine having to rebuild your life in a new country. You are not a native speaker of the official languages. The food tastes different and your favourite ingredients are hard to find. The customs are unfamiliar and you feel uncertain in social settings. What would it take for you to begin to feel at home…

Since 1978, WUSC has supported over 1,700 refugee youth to resettle in Canada and continue their post-secondary education. Though they have lived many shared experiences as refugees, every one of these students has their own unique story. On Friday, the Washington Post shared Ayan Abdi’s story. Ayan is one of the students to be accepted…

For the sixth time in a row, WUSC is pleased to be participating in the annual Ride for Refuge event – a fundraiser supporting charities who provide refuge and hope for displaced, vulnerable, and exploited people everywhere. Ride, walk, and fundraise in support of the Student Refugee Program! WUSC’s Student Refugee Program (SRP) is the…

By: Fatuma Omar Ismail, SRP alumnus Canadians understand the transformative role of education in a young person’s life. That’s why Canada has been a donor to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) – the only global fund solely dedicated to education in developing countries – since 2007. Canada recently hosted the Board of Directors of…

1) We combine refugee resettlement with opportunities for higher education. While most other initiatives around the world offer refugee youth temporary solutions through special student visas, WUSC’s Student Refugee Program (SRP) is the only one of its kind to combine post-secondary education with resettlement. We offer refugee youth the opportunity to build a better future…

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;…

The first week of September marks the moment when many students make their way back to school. Through several of our programs, we provide this same opportunity for students from the Global South to continue their education in Canada. This year, we welcomed over 200 bright, young students from countries around the world to post-secondary…

Between 2011 and 2012, 151 refugee youth were welcomed onto 51 Canadian campuses through our Student Refugee Program (SRP). Over 350 students, staff, and faculty members were there to support the social and academic integration of these students in their first year in Canada. Four years later, many of these students are now graduating and…

Leaders in Canada’s post-secondary response to the Syrian refugee crisis gathered this week to discuss the role of higher education in ongoing resettlement and integration efforts. Convened by WUSC, the high-level roundtable brought together actors from diverse sectors to identify opportunities for greater collaboration and to scale the response. Participants included Canadian university, college, and…

OTTAWA, March 30, 2016 – A delegation of Canadian government and nongovernment representatives led by the Honourable John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, is in Geneva this week to attend a high-level meeting on Pathways for Admission of Syrian Refugees, where the unique Canadian private sponsorship model is being highlighted as a durable solution to the global…