Date: October 29th, 2021 (9.30-12.00 CET)
Target audience: University staff members interested in the topic (both academic and administrative staff members)
Registration open until October 26th, 2021
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, reported that the number of people displaced by war or persecution stood at over 82 million in 2020. This is the highest number UNHCR has recorded since it was founded 70 years ago in the wake of WWII.
Europe experienced a peak of arrivals of refugees and migrants in 2015 and 2016, therefore, it has become increasingly important to address it, including by setting and developing concrete internal practices to facilitate inclusion of refugees in higher education institutions.
The backgrounds of refugee students are often very diverse and university staff members may lack the knowledge to cope with the challenges they are facing. In order to support universities in their work with refugee students, the UNISTAR (UNIversity STAff for Refugees) project team has developed a staff training programme.
We are pleased to invite you to the online outreach conference – Supporting University Educators and Staff to Advance Refugees’ Inclusion – taking place on October 29th, 2021 (9:30-12:00 CEST).
The online conference will allow to you:
- learn more about the tools developed to advance inclusion of refugees in higher education institutions
- gain in-depth insights about the content of the 4 modules developed for university staff members
- learn more about the enrollment procedures for the upcoming online courses (starting in November, 2021)
- have an opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from colleagues who have already tested the materials.
Below you may find the agenda in brief.
| Welcome & Introduction Liga Kuzmane, European University Foundation |
| Project UNISTAR - context, goals and results Khaola Al Rifai, Vrije Universiteit Brussel |
| UNISTAR modules - a brief introduction to the content of the 4 modules Module I: Becoming a Refugee Module II: Refugees on Campus Module III: Well-Being on Campus Module IV: Inclusive teaching and diversity UNISTAR team moderators |
| Testimony - university perspective Marlene Wall, LCC International University, Lithuania |
| Short break |
| Practical information about the modules and enrolment procedure Frederik Smets, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
| Future vision - what happens next? Khaola Al Rifai, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Frederik Smets, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
| Testimony - university perspective Mahsa Fahimnia, HU - University of Applied Sciences Utrecht |
| Closing Liga Kuzmane, European University Foundation |
You can find all the information about the UNISTAR Online Course for university staff working with refugee students, the description of the modules that are offered and the enrolment procedure via this link. You may also enrol by sending an email to Frederik Smets (UNHCR) with your personal information and preferences. We remind you that it is possible to enrol in more than one module.
The registration period for the Online Courses will remain open until November 12th.
For more information about the project, please visit the following website