Refugee Movements and Education: Shaping the OU’s Response

With the number of displaced people reaching record highs – latest reports from UNHCR put the figure at 65.3 million – migration and forced displacement are among the most pressing global challenges of our era. Furthermore, a significant proportion of refugees are young and struggle to access schooling, particularly higher education.

The OU is already a partner on the EU-funded LASER (Language, Academic Skills and E-learning Resources) project in Jordan supporting Syrian refuges, and is well placed to extend such initiatives through longer-term partnerships and its strong links with key stakeholders such as UNESCO, the British Council, the Refugee Council and the Arab OU. In addition, it has the research base, technical skills, expertise and mission alignment – 'supporting anyone, anywhere to access and use lifelong learning to improve their lives and those of their families and the communities around them' – to develop, implement and support large-scale sustainable solutions.

These compelling arguments have led to the setting up of a Migration Working Group whose members – drawn from across the university – will lead the development and implementation of a new exceptional strategic priority around migration, forced displacement and education.

You can find out more in the group's first report, Refugee Movements and Education: Shaping the OU’s Response, written by members including IDII's Parvati Raghuram, Giles Mohan and Jhumar Johnson.