‘A Guide To University for Refugees & Asylum Seekers’ Proves To Be A Great Success

George from Refugee Education UK presents to attendees of ‘A Guide To University for Refugees & Asylum Seekers’. Photograph by Success4All

Success4All hosted its first-ever in-person public event on Friday 08th July at The Common Room titled, ‘A Guide to University for Refugees and Asylum Seekers’. By all accounts, the event proved to be a great success.

Not only did we welcome over 60 attendees on the day, but we also organised 4 one-to-one sessions and shared several conversations that stretched beyond borders. Once all the tickets were allocated, we had a waiting list of 53 attendees, who are due to receive a recording of the event.

The event, which was entirely funded, planned, organised & coordinated by Success4All, included an esteemed panel of speakers from Newcastle University, University of Sunderland, Durham University and Refugee Education UK.

Prepared with plenty of stimulating questions & conversations, many of our attendees were eager to make the most of the event. Even guests who were at first quite hesitant, came out of their shells once we got started.

A key component of this event was to equip and empower refugees and asylum seekers to advocate for their educational rights, so it was incredible to see them all get involved in the conversation.

A few of the children who attended participated in some colouring activities whilst their parents/guardians absorbed the information.

So much was covered in such a short period, including information about the application process, entry requirements, grade equivalents, as well as the funding and scholarships refugees and asylum seekers could apply for.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, only 5% of refugees are enrolled into some form of higher education, a statistic which should encourage all of us to do more.