Many refugees aspire to continue or start higher education studies in their host country. However, higher education is difficult to access for refugees due to various obstacles such as a lack of (reliable) information and admission criteria. If they manage to access higher education they experience specific problems during their studies, related to their backgrounds. Institutions therefore need to provide refugee-background students with suitable support. Based on an explorative study among fifteen refugee students, we argue that focusing on equity and inclusion is fundamental to successfully support refugee students. We interviewed refugee students twice: in the first and the second year after they started their program. In addition, before the student interviews took place, we interviewed seventeen education professionals who are involved with refugee-background students, to gain good insight in the range of support that was available for the students. According to our study, refugee students are highly motivated but less able to capitalize on higher education for their aspirations because of multiple disadvantages. Besides unfamiliarity with the Dutch education system and a language barrier, they encounter exclusionary mechanisms. They struggle to connect with fellow students and do not always feel safe to ask questions or seek support, while inclusion and a sense of belonging are crucial for study success. Existing organizational resources can be valuable; however, refugee students have difficulties utilizing these for their benefit. Offering support alone is not enough: students must be able to use the support for their goals, which now is often not the case. If we want to strive for inclusive education for these students more diversity in approach, support, and resources is required.
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This article is based on five years of longitudinal participatory action research on how former pre‐bachelor programme students with a refugee background experience finding their way into Dutch higher education and society. The four‐member research team and authors (two of which were former refugees), found that refugee students face a significant barrier of “us‐versus‐them,” especially in an educational context. We explored how creative co‐creation contributed to rethinking difference and sameness in higher education by breaking through or transcending this divide. Creative co‐creation through play, storytelling, or constructing artefacts enables “alterity,” approaching the other from the other’s position. Movement and action help to shape the world around us: Connecting and shifting positions creates sameness while leaving space for difference. Creative co‐creation during our research process included making co‐creation artefacts and activities, thus involving outreach to broader audiences for engagement. In the research process, it became clear that successful participation matters to all students and provides more opportunities for all, not just refugee students. A new notion of “we” in Dutch higher education and society that does not perpetuate the divide between “us” and “them” requires a shared responsibility. Higher education needs the university authorities and the teachers to make room for student stories and should provide spaces for dialogue and community development.
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The aim of this small explorative study was to get an impression of the participants’ views and understanding of the role of becoming a teacher in Swedish schools, realising the characteristic of pedagogy aimed for in the curriculum (in Lgr11 and Lgy), specifically the interaction patterns and student participation in learning processes. Main research questions addressed participants expectations of differences and challenges in the Swedish school context as compared to their experiences in Syria contexts, in specific the development of their understanding of student participation in interaction as characteristic of Swedish education and curriculum. From this, recommendations are formulated for curriculum and research for future Fast Track trajectories.
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Parental support is vital for the well-being and resilience of children with a refugee background as they navigate resettlement. However, providing such parental support is challenging for parents facing significant life changes due to involuntary migration and are unfamiliar with their new society. This study distinguishes between emotional and informational support, focusing on whether parents prioritize informational parental support–involving advice or exchanging information–and examines its determinants. We applied a multiple linear regression model on a data set with 254 recently-arrived refugee parents of 10- to 16-year-olds. Results indicate that informational support is predicted by both the parent's educational level as well as their Dutch language proficiency. We conclude that enhancing language proficiency is crucial to empower parents in offering more informational support to their children, aiding their understanding of the new society.
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“The thing you read the most as a refugee when you start your integration programme is ‘pay’. The second thing is ‘You must complete’ and the third is ‘Take a test’. How at home would you feel if this was what you read and were told repeatedly? Are there other ways to assess if a person is becoming part of their community?” Nadine Blankvoort is passionate about being critical and questioning how our society functions, and not accepting things for what they seem. Her talk aims to explore the discourse that refugees in the Netherlands encounter while in the mandatory integration program. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
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In autumn 2016, Malmö University started two “fast track” trajectories for teachers with refugee backgrounds. The participants were offered an education of 26 weeks as an introduction to the Swedish school system, consisting of content courses, professional Swedish and workplace learning. The aim of this small explorative study was to get an impression of the participants’ views and understanding of the role of becoming a teacher in Swedish schools, realising the characteristics of pedagogy aimed for in the curriculum, specifically the interaction patterns and student participation in learning processes. Main research questions addressed participants’ expectations of differences and challenges in the Swedish school context as compared to their experiences in Syrian contexts. A combination was chosen of focus groups interviews with a small number of teachers and students on their views and experiences with pupils’ involvement in classroom communication as well as quantitative data gathering. The quantitative survey measured teachers’ acquisition and participation-oriented views on learning. Open-ended reflection on learning questions was also given to the students. Results showed significant development towards more participation-oriented beliefs on learning. Interview data and written statements reveal varied differences between the Swedish context and the participants’ experiences from schools in Syria.
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This article presents results of a qualitative analysis based on biographic narratives of three young, well-educated women from Syria. They arrived in the Netherlands between 2015 and 2017 in the context of family reunion. The central question is how young Syrian women navigate between two major projects that ask for their agency, being family and work. It is argued that both occupational career development and the building of a family are ‘agentic projects’ that aim to contribute to the establishment of a new life and to regain continuity. The analyses demonstrate that both projects are closely intertwined. Agency emerges as highly relational and intersecting with the women’s position in the life course, timing of life events, ability to adapt career goals to the new situation, and impact of social contexts on family relations.
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This article focuses on the multiple feelings of belonging that refugee-background youngsters experience toward their country of origin (Syria)and their city of resettlement (Rotterdam). The conceptual framework of Antonsich is used to examine how personal and social dimensions shape their belonging. Based on interviews and photo-elicitation with 19 young people, this study shows that the feeling of belonging toward Syria is presented as a natural given, whereas the feeling of belonging toward Rotterdam developed over time, shaped by increasing familiarity and normalcy. Although exclusion is experienced incidentally, this does not greatly hinder youngsters’ sense of belonging toward Rotterdam.
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Every year, thousands of young people arrive in the Netherlands because they have had to flee their country of origin. Having left behind life as they had known it, they must become accustomed to a new, unfamiliar society. This dissertation focuses on young people (aged 8 to 17 years) who have been granted official ‘refugee’ status and resettled in the Netherlands together with family members. It aims to understand how they experience the years immediately after resettlement.
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Money alone is not enough. Also, not for young refugees and migrants aspiring to become self-employed. They might be the necessary to survive, the idea to explore an opportunity or the aspirations towards growth and expansion like any other entrepreneur. Likewise, there are various forms in which they will become self-employed: it might be solo or hybrid self-employed, a micro or small enterprise, and even a medium sized one. Ans in all cases (external) financing will be needed to start and develop the new ventures but knowledge as well how to use it. The aim to the Young Migrant Entrepreneurs Capacity Building project (in brief YMCB in this guide) is to develop an innovative approach to support young migrants’ entrepreneurship through a combination of education, training, and mentoring. The overall connotation is that access to finance deals with the possibility that individuals or enterprises have to access financial services, including credit, deposit, payment, or insurances provided by third parties – formal and informal. Poor access to finance limits individuals, households, and entrepreneurs to function. Access to finance is expected to benefit society at large by accelerating economic growth and helping to raise income for those in the lower end of the income distribution pyramid in reducing income inequality and poverty. But that is only one face of the same coin. Over the past years it has become evident that effective access to finance is determined by: - How well-prepared the prospective migrant/refugee entrepreneurs are to get started - The level of preparation of trainers and coaches working with migrant or refugee entrepreneurs and how well they understand the context their clients live and operate - The level of understanding of staff for FI’s and the degree to which appraisal procedures do not automatically exclude this group as potential clients
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