University of the People aims to enrol 35,000 refugee students by 2030, significantly increasing its commitment
Online educator University of the People has pledged to enrol 35,000 refugees by 2030, increasing its previous commitment of 25,000 refugees by 2030.
The pledge is made in support of the UN’s Human Rights Council (UNHRC)’s 15by30 initiative which aims to increase the number of refugee youth enrolled in higher education to 15 percent by 2030. Currently, just 7 percent of refugees have access to higher education, compared to 42 percent of their non-refugee peers.
University of the People currently has more than 18,500 refugees enrolled on its courses, which are provided flexibility, tuition-free online. It says it serves more displaced students than any other university worldwide.
University of the People’s President Shai Reshef is calling on every university across the world to join the effort.
"If each of the world's 31,000 universities enrolled just 15 additional refugee students, we could close the higher education gap for refugees – and end this crisis. While we understand that no other university can make a pledge like ours, no university can say that they cannot enroll 15 refugee students,” Reshef says.
"Refugee students are like other students and have the same dreams. They have the same talent, capacity, and potential as other students… All we need is opportunity, and we can show the world who we are and what we can do," comments Mohammed Siraj, a Rohingya refugee from Myanmar now living in Bangladesh in one of the world's largest refugee camps.
"Higher education is proven to be a life changing resource for refugees to change their status," Reshef adds. "Providing higher education access for refugees can help these individuals transform their lives and the lives of those around them and contribute to the further development of societies and the global economy."
Reshef previously spoke to ETIH about the power of tuition-free learning and its potential to disrupt higher education.
