University pledges support for refugee crisis

The University of Wolverhampton has offered to support 20 refugees as part of a new scholarship programme.

The programme is part of a number of measures the University has put forward to local authority partners to help support refugees displaced from countries such as Syria relocating to the UK.

The University has written to all surrounding local authorities about the scholarship scheme as well as offering support in other ways such as English Language provision and helping families find school places via its multi-academy trust.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton, Jackie Dunne, said: “In the University we have all been greatly moved by the plight of the refugees fleeing from conflicts in their home countries and we have been looking at ways in which we can help those that may arrive in the region as part of the UK Government’s resettlement policy.

“As part of that we have written to our partner local authorities in the Black Country, Staffordshire, Telford and Wrekin and Herefordshire to offer our assistance.

“Through them, we want to be in a position to offer practical support for refugee families and help them make the transition to the UK as smoothly as possible. Many will have had traumatic experiences in trying to escape the crisis so if we can help in some way we want to be able to.”

University staff can also assist refugee families with advice and guidance on how to get their existing qualifications recognised in the UK or gain new qualifications.

The scholarship scheme, which could potentially be worth up to £350,000 will be open for two years and will pay the tuition for up to 20 refugees for an undergraduate, postgraduate or short course.

In 2013 the University took in two Syrian academic staff as part of a scheme run by the Council for at Risk Academics (CARA), an organisation that supports academic staff whose lives may be at risk in their own countries.

ENDS

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