26 Refugee University Students Awarded Scholarships
To help young refugees continue their university studies, scholarships have been awarded to cover expenses such as materials, technology, and other necessary academic costs. Specifically, 17 Enginy scholarships and 9 scholarships for youth affected by the conflict in Ukraine were awarded.
Complementing the #UABRefugi Aid Programme, the UAB Refugee Reception Programme, managed by the Fundació Autònoma Solidària, issued two calls for applications to address the significant economic vulnerabilities that hinder the academic progress of refugee students at UAB. These students face considerable challenges in resuming and continuing their university education due to their social, administrative, and economic vulnerabilities.
In the fourth edition of the Enginy Scholarships for University Students in Refugee Situations (2023-2024), co-funded by the Fundació Caixa d'Enginyers, the UAB Foundation and the University itself, 17 students received aid totalling €9,921.66. These grants cover study materials, practical expenses, transport costs and the purchase of technology. The evaluation committee included representatives from the Fundació Caixa d'Enginyers, the UAB Management Team, the UAB Vice-Rectorate for Academic Planning, the Director of the Fundació Autònoma Solidària and the technical team of the UAB Refugee Reception Programme.
Additionally, a specific call for aid for youths affected by the conflict in Ukraine, fully funded by direct grants to certain public universities and the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities under the University-Refugee Action Plan, resulted in nine beneficiaries receiving a total of €10,000.
UAB Refugee Reception Programme
Globally, increasing issues such as armed conflicts, environmental and economic insecurity, and minority persecutions have significantly raised the number of forced displacements. According to UNHCR, by the end of 2023, the number of displaced persons worldwide reached 100 million. Of the refugee population, only 7% access university education (UNHCR, 2023).
In response, UAB has launched a university reception initiative aimed at promoting the rights of refugees and persons in need of international protection, known as the "UAB Refugee Reception Programme". Coordinated by the Fundació Autònoma Solidària (FAS), this project facilitates community reception strategies, academic integration, awareness-raising and education on forced displacement and human mobility in the university context. Since its inception in 2016, more than 100 refugee students have enrolled in higher education at UAB through the #UABRefugi Aid Programme, participating in public and official bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral studies. UAB supports access to public higher education for students in need of international protection by publishing the #UABRefugi Aid Call for the academic year 2023-24, which includes exemption from tuition fees and other academic costs.
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