USW research will show how universities can improve life chances of refugees in their areas

New research by USW will evidence the crucial role that universities can play in the integration of migrants in their areas.

Dr Mike Chick, USW’s Refugee Champion, and Dr Catherine Camps, Deputy Director of the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning & Teaching, have been awarded an Advance HE Good Practice Grant to conduct research with graduates of USW’s Refugee Sanctuary Scheme.   

The research will seek to better understand how the scheme benefitted them and how their well-being can be transformed through opportunities to develop skills, gain qualifications and meet others.       

 "There is a paucity of literature evidencing the ways in which university action can improve the well-being and life chances of displaced people," said Dr Mike Chick.     

 "We believe that this project will give voice to those people whose lives have been changed by having the chance to gain the skills, qualifications and confidence that higher education study confers."     

_{Dr Mike Chick and Tarek Zou Alghena}

The outcomes of this research will be available to all universities and government bodies who are interested in the ways in which universities can support the integration of migrants.   

The University of South Wales is currently the only university in Wales that offers full time pre-sessional language education as part of its support for displaced people.   

Refugee students who need to improve their language competency before beginning academic study are offered free places on the programme.     

Although this is a relatively new initiative, a number of refugees have already benefitted directly from the scheme, and it is hoped that this research will be a catalyst for more to follow.   

Syrian-born Tarek, who successfully completed the course, went on to win the Learning and Work Institute’s Learner of the Year Award for Wales in 2019 and is now studying a quantity surveying degree at USW.