Higher Education in Emergencies Supporting threatened scholars Sini

Higher Education in Emergencies: Supporting threatened scholars Sini Piippo Finnish National Agency for Education Wednesday 27. 11. 2019 11: 30 -12: 00

Higher Education in Emergencies: supporting threatened scholars • Conflicts threaten lives and careers of professores, researchers and academics as well as the entire higher education systems • Yemen: The World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis & A Higher Education Emergency by James R. King, IIE Scholar Rescue Fund: https: //vimeo. com/291531529

PAUSE (France) Phillip Schwarz Initiative (Germany) EDUFI grants (Finland) Support provided Scholar Rescue Fund (International) Scholars at Risk (International) Support schemes in Europe Expertise and support How can European higher education communities act? Support schemes Assistance and grants for the scholars to continue their career in a safe environment

Creating support scheme for threatened scholars in Finland • Through the partnership of the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund and EDUFI Finland provides support for threatened scholars to continue their work in safety, hosted by Finnish HEIs • Activities launched in 2016, 5 scholars have arrived to Finland from Syria and Yemen (2019), 3 hosting HEIs • EDUFI and Finnish HEIs have developed expertise around the topic in close collaboration with the IIE-SRF and SAR network through various development activities and events • Supporting activities in GREET- and CARe-projects with ACA and DAAD (Horizon 2020 Science 4 Refugees) 4

Who can participate? HEIs Scholar Rolling deadline for applications Open for all higher education institutions and all academic fields A scholar resident in any country can apply for the programme Eligibility: level of threat and academic accomplishments (IIE-SRF) In Finland/EDUFI scholarships priority is given to scholars from crisis areas in the early stages of their career Position Teaching and research activities Visiting researcher or regular staff

Funding for 1 -2 years EDUFI € 1, 500/mont h + € 5, 000 installation allowance IIE-SRF USD 25, 000/year USD 50, 000 / year (max. 2 years) Co-funding requirement 50% 23/11/2020 Finnish National Agency for Education 6

Scholars in Finland Fathiah Zakham tutki Jemenissä tuberkuloosia, kunnes pommit tuhosivat yliopiston (YLE 19. 11. 2018) https: //yle. fi/uutiset/3 -10496662 Supporting female scientists in Yemen (IIE-SRF Beacon 27. 3. 2019): https: //mailchi. mp/5 ad 093 be 9 ef 3/iie-srf-beacon-march 71480

Source: https: //scholarrescuefund. org/about-us/numbers

Source: https: //scholarrescuefund. org/about-us/numbers

Source: https: //scholarrescuefund. org/about-us/numbers

Career Advancement of Refugee Researchers in Europe • Aim: Support the labour market integration of refugee researchers through coordinated and tailored provision of country-specific and needs-based information • Funding: EU Horizon 2020: Science 4 Refugees initiative • Duration: January 2019 – October 2020 (22 months) • Partners: ACA, DAAD and EDUFI • Target group: refugee researchers, R 1 -R 3 • Target countries: Austria, Belgium/Flanders, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland the Netherlands • Cooperation with SAR and EURAXESS in preparation of focus groups, outreach and dissemination 11

Supporting integration of researchers with refugeebackground Needs-based guidance Employer survey Webinars Multi-level and multistakeholder approach Focus groups Country guides (EURAXESS) 10 target countries Wide dissemination of results: ACA, SAR, EURAXESS 12 12

Preliminary findings from focus group discussions with the scholars • Need for targeted support and funding opportunities at European level • At the same time scholars want to be seen primarily as researchers not as refugees • Scholarship contracts valuable but too short – not easy to integrate nor find further possibilities after 2 years scholarship • Refugee status/ scholarship is not necessarily viewed in a good light–not an asset at job markets • Displaced scholars could contribute to development of their host countries 13

Preliminary findings Challenges: • • • language barriers different working culture different systems negative attitudes lack of networks Suggestions: • targeted mentoring programmes • match-making websites • network of scholars and network of different actors (HEIs, government, CSOs) • special language courses for professionals • EU level regulations and targeted funding 14

Q&A

Thank you! Contact: sini. piippo@oph. fi +358 295 338 595