The Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives Newsletter

Times Higher Education: Rebecca Granato Discusses the Need for Increased Educational Access for Refugees from the Global South 

Recently in Times Higher Education, Rebecca Granato, Director of the Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives and Associate Vice President for Global Initiatives at Bard College, explained how refugees from Global South countries are often perceived by governments as a burden. However, not providing higher education opportunities for refugees is actually a greater liability, according to the article.  Read the article

Hubs Play a Key Role at the UN Global Refugee Forum

In December 2023, the UNHCR hosted the second Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in Geneva, which brings together actors from across the world to address pressing issues related to displaced people – the number of which now stands at over 100 million globally. Hubs for Connected Learning Initiativeses played a leading role at the Forum, representing The Open Society University Network (OSUN) and the Global Task Force on Third Country Education Pathways (GTF), the latter which supports the expansion of higher education pathways for refugees. The Hubs convened a panel on the power of university networks to move the needle on the global goal of achieving 15% of refugees in higher education by 2030, with panelists including the Association of Commonwealth Universities, Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, and Réseau MeNS – all leaders in the space.

Foundations Pledge Support for Hubs Programs

Rebecca Granato, Hubs Director, announced pledges on behalf of the Open Society University Network (OSUN) and Desire to Learn (D2L). As a network, OSUN partners committed to helping approximately 500 students access higher education while D2L and the Baker Family Foundation committed financial resources to supporting 150 students through the Hubs' work in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya over four years.

OSUN Vice Chancellor Jonathan Becker spoke about OSUN and partners’ crucial role in supporting refugee students at an international platform for states and stakeholders dedicated to assisting refugees and their host countries. Read more

Hubs Students Present at GRF

Two Hubs students joined over 300 other young delegates with displacement backgrounds at the GRF, where they presented to over 4,000 attendees, from government officials to international organization representatives, civil society, the private sector, and many more coming from all four corners of the globe.

Compared to the first GRF held in 2019,  which included only 70 delegates identifying as refugee or displaced young people, last year’s Forum benefited from a marked increase in youth inclusion and engagement. Christian Baobab, a Hubs graduate and refugee education advocate, participated in an intergenerational panel discussion on the inclusion of children in the design and decision-making about their protection in schools. Baobab also co-moderated a screening and discussion of a short film on the state of mental health of refugee learners that he co-directed together with other members of the Refugee Education Council. Mulki Mohamed, a Hubs Civic Engagement graduate, former research fellow, and filmmaker shared her reflections on the outcomes of the GRF in this video made by UNHCR.

Hubs' Higher Education Access Program Preps Students for Success

The Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives is a leader in the education space for refugees, the only institution with streamlined programs aimed at bridging the gap between refugee learners in marginalized contexts and universities by offering tailored university preparatory programs. Since 2021, the number of students enrolled in its Higher Education Access Program has increased dramatically. Over 450 displaced or refugee students in Kenya, Jordan, and Bangladesh have been equipped with the skills they need to enroll in a university or a diploma track. Close to 90% of graduates in this program have already moved into degree-granting programs, with more on their way. From 2021-2023, the program’s enrollment has grown by almost 1000% with a retention rate of over 40%.  Learn more

Hubs’ Programs in Bangladesh Impact Thousands

The LIT (Languages, Images and Critical Thinking) program in Bangladesh has reached 1880 learners since 2021. The Hubs' LIT model focuses on a student-centered pedagogy, whereby local facilitators teach English language skills, digital literacy, analysis, and communication skills to young people who have experienced secondary or post-secondary education disruptions, preparing them to move into the Higher Education Access Program or into livelihood opportunities. More about LIT

Student Spotlight: Former Hubs Student Alamin Jibrin Tutu becomes a Mastercard Foundation Scholar

Jibrin joined the Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives in 2021. He enrolled in the Higher Education Access Program and excelled to become an OSUN student leadership fellow before completing the program. He was then hired as an assistant center manager by URISE, the Hubs’ partner organization in Kakuma refugee camp. 

“Being a Hubs’ student exposed me to many networks. The skills that I learned throughout the program including critical thinking, active listening, teamwork, and project management through civic engagement allowed me to keep and entertain these networks and secure a job at URISE as an assistant center manager.”

-Alamin Jibrin

Jibrin has 15 siblings, most of them still in Sudan, which he left at age 11 before coming to Kakuma with no family.  He dedicated his life to education and with a lot of struggles and setbacks, he managed to complete his high school education in 2017. His siblings, some of whom he hasn't heard from since a decade, have not had the opportunity to go to school. That’s why he is committed to education because, unlike his siblings, he has the opportunity. 

“The Hubs and the Higher Education Access Program served as a turning point for me. I was not seeing a future after high school but with the Hubs I have been prepared enough to secure a scholarship and to be ready for college. I also have learned life skills allowing me to be competitive in the job market.” 

Jibrin, together with Abut Suleman Tiso are some of the Hubs graduates who have secured a MasterCard foundation full scholarship. The former is moving to Ghana for his Bachelor's in Computer Science and the latter is already a second-year student at the United States International University in Nairobi Kenya. 

Hubs and Opening Universities for Refugees Launch a Cultural Heritage Project in Dadaab Refugee Camp, Kenya.

Hubs students and Opening Universities for Refugees (OUR) launched a community-led participatory project in February 2024  with a three-day in-person workshop in Dadaab refugee camp. 

The workshop focused on preparing cultural heritage ambassadors to reconnect, engage, and safeguard the selected intangible cultural heritage practices of their communities. Students were introduced to community-based participatory research methods and explored how refugees might document current cultural practices through examination of the arts, music, and architecture. They also discussed how cultural practices can promote the idea of respect and understanding between the many distinct groups who live in the camps.  

Dadaab refugee camp was opened three decades ago and has sheltered over three generations of refugees, some of whom never know what their homeland looks like. Generally, the old generation would pass their culture to the younger generations. But as technology evolves and the world changes, cultural heritage faces significant threats. An overwhelming mixture of many different cultural practices encountered in the camps and the pressure to assimilate and adapt to new environments leads young people to unwillingly forget their cultural roots.  Learn more

OSUN and Bard College Formalize Commitment to Expanding Higher Education for Refugee Students 

In a groundbreaking move Bard College, representing OSUN  and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) agreed to strengthen their collaborative relationship and sign a memorandum of understanding aiming to expand quality higher education and capacity-building opportunities for forcibly displaced youth in crisis.

The two parties agreed to expand opportunities for refugees to access higher education, including through scholarships, training programmes, joint advocacy, youth leadership support, and complementary education pathways.  

Together, OSUN and UNHCR will also undertake joint advocacy towards institutions of higher learning and authorities to be more inclusive of refugees and other displaced youths, and strive to expand enrollment to 15% (now 7%) by 2030.

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