inHERE Final Conference, 19 September 2018, Brussels Synergies for Sustainability of Projects Supporting Refugees in

WELCOMING SYRIAN REFUGEES TO UNIVERSITY: IMPROVING CAPACITY AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING Project Logo Organisation: Istanbul University Project Presentation Project Results

Some Preliminary Research Findings : BACKGROUND/CONTEXT With the flow of millions of Syrian refugees in a relatively short period, the need to prepare Turkish Higher Education System and Higher Education Institutions to their participation and inclusion emerged, as the numbers of refugee students increased in a unprecedented manner. For the 2017-18 academic year, there are 20.701 Syrian students under temporary protection enrolled to Turkish Open Male Female HEIs and Istanbul University alone is hosting 1.241* of Evening them. • Majority has been admitted through transfer (62%) Although a degree of flexibility is introduced in regulative • Few special students status (only 53 students) framework for Syrian students access to HE, its • Low levels of admission through centralized exam (Foreign implementation still depends on institutional policies and Student Exam-YÖS) procedures (20%) and Turkish practices which need further improvement. There is an Scholarships YTB (5%) apparent need to understand the multifaceted, complex needs of refugee students, and to assure their integration into the education system. HEIs’ recognition and understanding of the refugee students, researchers would contribute to their access and participation to academy and job market, support their success and empowerment. WESREF-IU, 31 August, 2018, Application and Admission Support, Directorate of Student Affairs Acces to higher education would also increase the awareness regarding diversity and integration in the society. Project Activities Transfer PhD Undergraduate Foreign Student Exam Associate Degree Certificate TARGET GROUPS Government Scholarships Master - Prospective Syrians students with HE aspirations Special Student Preparation and Management Project Manuel Package , May –June 2018 - Syrian students enrolled to İstanbul University ➔ A degree of flexibility during document evaluation and admission - Local students enrolled to İstanbul University Evaluation Meetings, November 2018 ➔ Questions about quality of previous education - İstanbul University administrative and academic staff Research ➔Need for increased quota in Foreigner Students Exam - Local authorities Field work in Ankara, İstanbul, Gaziantep, Karabük - Refugee Organizations (Interview & Focus Groups), February-April 2018 Early Developments in Awareness Raising and Knowledge Sharing: - Other HEIs’ administrators in the region • Piloting Specifically Tailored Support for Application and Admission Support, September- An info session had been organized with participation of - Policy makers November 2018 key relevant staff working with refugee students with the Syrian Students at Institutional Level LOCATION: İstanbul University, İstanbul aim of providing accurate and up to date information Orientation Program, September 2018 regarding the regulative framework of refugee access and DURATION: May 1, 2018-July 1, 2019 (14 months) participation to HE and discussing ethical principles of Academic Language Support, September 2018- OBJECTIVES working with refugees and mapping the available • To remove institutional barriers to access June 2019 institutional psycho-social support provided for refugee students. • To enhance institutional capacity for increased Cooperation, Dialogue, Awareness Info Sessions, July 2018 academic achievement and participation Raising and Knowledge Sharing • To increase institutional engagement in awareness Early Developments in Application and Admission Support: Workshop, January 2019 raising, dialogue and knowledge sharing • 3 Istanbul University Syrian students have been recruited • To contribute to policy making and academic as project assistant and trained for application and International Conference, April 2019 admission support and orientation program. * In May 2018, Istanbul University has been through a • As of August 30, 34 Syrian applicants have been supported division process according to which two separate during application and admission to Istanbul University. Universities İstanbul University and Istanbul University Reporting Policy Report, June 2019 Cerrahpaşa have been established. Early Developments in Academic Language Support: • A curriculum and program have been developed in cooperation with Istanbul University Language Center. • Announcements have been made, the program has started receiving applications as of August 31.

Sustainability & Synergies with other Projects

• WESREF-IU project is built on the findings of another small scale project “SUPREF” implemented by İstanbul University as part of the Grant scheme of the HOPES project funded by the European Union, and implemented by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) together with the British Council, Campus France and Nuffic. • SUPREF and WESREF-IU project process and activieties raised awareness regarding Syrian students of Istanbul University among administrative and academic staff.

Information

CONTACT INFORMATION Contact Person: Prof. Dr. Yesim Ozer Email: wesref@İstanbul.edu.tr Telephone: +90-212-440 00 51

WEBSITE: In progress SOCIAL MEDIA: @WESREF3 (twitter)

WESREF-IU, 31 August, 2018, Application and Admission Support, of Sciences

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 787248

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License The inHERE project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the EU