Student Refugee Program

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…

OTTAWA, September 9, 2015 – World University Service of Canada (WUSC) has called upon the presidents and leaders of post-secondary education institutions across the country to increase their support to Syrian refugees through the Student Refugee Program. Already active on over 65 campuses, WUSC’s Student Refugee Program empowers students, faculty and staff to sponsor young refugees to resettle…

Around[a] 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 future.…