Chapter 3.4 The inclusion at higher education level of refugees and other beneficiaries of international protection in Greece, Italy and Portugal
Several Portuguese higher education institutions host refugee students or students who, despite not having refugee status or subsidiary protection, are nationals of countries where there are situations of armed conflict. This is the case with students who are hosted through the
Global Platform for Syrian Students, “a non-profit multi-stakeholders organization founded in November 2013 by Jorge Sampaio, former President of Portugal, with the support of a core group of institutional partners, namely the Council of Europe, the League of Arab States, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) and the Institute of International Education (IIE)”, and whose aim is “to provide access to higher education for Syrian students affected by the war, in safe countries throughout the world.”
The
Academic Consortium of the Global Platform includes several Portuguese higher education institutions. Through this programme, selected students are awarded a scholarship and given assistance by the host institution and the organization. In
2019, 171 students in several countries, including Portugal, received emergency scholarships through the Platform. The Global Platform is also
setting up a Rapid Response Mechanism for Higher Education in Emergencies (RRM), which is “aimed at providing more, better and faster academic opportunities for students in vulnerable situations or facing humanitarian emergencies created by wars, conflicts and natural disasters”. It is estimated that this mechanism will be fully operational in 2021.
Portuguese higher education institutions also offer Portuguese language courses, tutoring and buddy support, as well as other forms of assistance. For instance, the
University of Coimbra offers a variety of opportunities to learn Portuguese (summer courses; annual courses; intensive courses), and also provides a Foundation Year Programme in the Portuguese Language (FYP-PL) to prepare students to gain the skills and proficiency in this language so that they can undertake undergraduate degree programmes at the University.
As a result of a partnership between the High Commission for Migration (ACM) and the
University of Aveiro, a Local Support Centre for the Integration of Migrants (CLAIM) is present at the University and provides its international academic community, whether migrants or refugees, with support in areas such as “education, access to public services, accommodation, day-to-day issues” and other areas.
Despite the existence of support for refugee students by Portuguese higher education institutions, further and more varied programmes aimed at the inclusion of refugees and other beneficiaries of international protection would greatly benefit these individuals and also the academic community at large.
