UEH and Western Sydney University (Australia) co-organized the IIE PEER (IIE’s Platform for Education in Emergencies Response) Workshop - Asia

UEH and Western Sydney University (Australia) co-organized the IIE PEER (IIE’s Platform for Education in Emergencies Response) Workshop - Asia - Pacific

05 Jun, 2020

Overview of the workshop

The IIE PEER Workshop aims to discuss and provide solutions for the path of higher education for refugee students in Asia-Pacific. The workshop focused on three main areas: (1) How to help refugee students increase their chances of getting scholarships; (2) Promote public awareness of the importance of pursuing higher education in difficult and urgent circumstances; (3) Exchange and meet professional leaders, scientists, and social activists to discuss solutions to encourage the cooperation of these organizations

Ms. Katherine Miller - Global Education in Emergencies Specialist briefly introduced the content and purpose of the workshop

In the beginning, Ms. Katherine Miller - Global Education in Emergencies Specialist gave a brief introduction about the content and purpose of the workshop by conveying her messages and insights on the status of the refugee issue in the world today.

Sharing of 02 Burmese refugee students

Afterward, the speakers listened to the true stories from two Burmese refugee students who had recently received scholarships and are currently studying Bachelor of Business of Western Sydney University, Australia. Through the practical sharing of the two students, the speakers and guests had partly understood the stories of the students in the refugee area and more sympathetic to the problematic fate but always aspire to raise and pursue an education.

Discussion and answers in the workshop

Following the sharing in the workshop was the discussion and answers to questions about the contextualization of the refugee issue in the Asia-Pacific region with the participation of 3 speakers:

•Ms. Mini Zarina Azmin - Heads the Education Unit, UNHCR Malaysia

• Ms. Oranutt Narapruet - Development & Humanitarian Specialist Consultant

• Mr. Themba Lewis - Secretary-General, Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN)

Mr. Jonathan Lembright - Regional Director for Southeast Asia at IIE, led the next part of the workshop on cooperation, revolved around the question of “How to build an effective partnership between universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and capital support organizations? ”, with the participation of the speakers:

• Mr. Nophol Techaphangam - Director of NEXUS Thailand

• Dr. Alma Espartinez - Vice President for Academic Affairs at Holy Angel University

• Ms. Oranutt Narapruet - Development & Humanitarian Specialist Consultant

The session continued with a discussion of scholarship issues for refugee students, aiming to "Increase the chances of receiving scholarships for students, better use of resources and maximize impact". At the same time, "Methods of reducing the barriers for refugee students to apply for scholarships" were also discussed enthusiastically.

Exchange in the Workshop

The IIE PEER (IIE’s Platform for Education in Emergencies Response) Workshop - Asia - Pacific had brought a more realistic view of the status of refugee students in the world, in particular the Asia-Pacific region. It also provided insights into the opportunities of students and the importance of pursuing higher education.