In response to the migratory influx in Belgium which reached a peak in 2015, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), set-up the Student Refugee Programme (SRP) for students looking to continue or start their academic studies after being forced to flee their home country. With the start of the new academic year in September 2020, the programme will be revamped to provide better support to those refugee students studying at VUB, and those who want to apply to study.
VUB wants to further facilitate access to higher education for refugee students by providing them with the necessary guidance and support before and during their studies.
The student refugee programme is designed to welcome refugee students with very diverse backgrounds who were admitted by VUB’s faculties, and still need extra support. The additional services the students will receive include:
- Info sessions on VUB services: admission, E-tools, the education system, financial support, exams and regulations
- Workshops on study skills
- Monitoring sessions to follow up on their progress
- Psychological support sessions (group and individual) led by an expert team of psychologists
- Cultural orientation sessions in collaboration with the Agentschap voor Integratie en Inburgering-Bon Brussel, the agency dealing with integration in Brussels.
This will be on top of the administrative support already provided to all refugee students, ranging from a first contact with prospective students to give general information and guidance, to offer help throughout the admission process, to maintaining an open-door policy to provide advice and support where and when needed throughout the students’ study progress.
The uniqueness of the student refugee programme lies in the principles behind it: the individual follow-up of students, taking into account the complexity of their situation, with diversity and openness at its core. During the 2019-2020 academic year, 104 refugee students applied and 36 enrolled. Most of them come from Syria, Palestine, Turkey and Iraq, and study in English-taught Master programmes, especially in Social Sciences & Solvay Business School, but also in Engineering and Languages and Humanities.
Further information can be found on the website or by contacting Refugee@vub.ac.be