In recent months, news related to the refugee crisis has painted a doom and gloom picture of European reality: chaos and tragedy at the borders and growing tensions inside EU countries between locals and alienated refugees. Yet, while news on this topic tends to be negative, there are many positive – but less reported – initiatives taking place. Higher education is one sector that does not often make headlines in this context but has considerable potential to transform current reality. So could our higher education systems be doing more?
The twenty-first of December 2015 marked a symbolic milestone: more than one million refugees entering Europe. This colossal number has been largely driven by the Syrian conflict, where half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million have been forced to flee their homes, with many also fleeing the country, as well as by poverty and conflict in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan. Unfortunately, there is little reason to expect these factors driving migration to disappear soon. More...