The increasing flow of migrant in Europe has brought many educational challenges in hosting countries: from the reception in primary schools to the access to higher education and universities.
The project WELCOME – Welcome to Universities and Higher Education aims to improve and extend opportunities in higher education for refugees through the exchange of good practices and new ideas between partner organizations and other associations and institutions.
Representative of the WELCOME project’s partner organizations met in Palermo from 9th to 10th November 2017 to discuss the migration phenomenon in Italy and Sicily and its related challenges. The meeting has been an occasion to further analyzing the project topic and share new ideas and inputs on how to facilitate the access to higher education for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.
Good practices presented
University for Refugees
The on-line university of Rome Uninettuno has created an online platform for migrants where it is possible to follow university courses from all over the world. The platform allows the recognition of educational qualifications previously earned by refugees and migrants in their countries of origin and the recognition of their professional competences in order to facilitate their access to Uninettuno degrees, mater’s and vocational training courses.
Comunità Exodos
Partners met a member of Comunità Exodos Palermo: a group of young people who offer private lessons for disadvantaged young people, helping them to develop both their knowledge of the Italian language and their critical thinking through the organization of numerous seminars and debates on different issues.
Guidance and Tutoring Center
Furthermore, the services offered by the University of Palermo for foreign students have been presented. In particular, the Foreign Students Orientation and Reception Desk that provides various services such as information on:
- immigration regulations,
- enrolment procedures,
- university facilities (libraries, Wi-Fi, university medical clinic, etc.).
Students are also supported in all procedures related to the residence permit.
Meeting Ben Said Moussa
Partners had also the opportunity to meet Ben, a young boy coming from Cameroon and living in Italy since 10 years. Ben told us his story and about his interest in medicine, the faculty he would like to access to. He shared with us the difficulties and barriers that a young migrant meets in accessing the university and which challenges he has to face.
It has been an important moment of sharing as it gave the opportunity to think about the needs of migrant young people and which kind of support could actually facilitate their access to higher education.
It has also been a moment of exchange in which Ben had the possibility to know about procedures to enter university in the other countries and on the possibilities he could have in these countries.
The main challenges were also mentioned: the major one is the economic problem that was discussed during a meeting with a young migrant who would like to study medicine.
About WELCOME
WELCOME is a project co-financed by the Erasmus+ programme, Key Action 2 Strategic Partnerships for Adult Education.
The partnership holds together 5 organisations:
- UniT – Verein für Kultur an der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz (Austria, coordinator) ;
- VIFIN – Videnscenter for Integration (Denmark);
- VNB – Verein Niedersächsischer Bildungsinitiativen e. V. (Germany);
- CARDET (Cyprus);
- CESIE (Italy).
If you would like to receive further information, please contact Giulia Tarantino: giulia.tarantino@cesie.org.