Opening Pathways to Higher Education: Refugee Students in University
At Roshan, we believe that education is the key to moving forward in life. Although several community-based learning centers exist to provide basic education for refugees, there remains a lack of opportunities to pursue higher education. This is becoming an increasingly important issue as 70 percent of refugees in Indonesia are adults and the waiting period for resettlement continues to grow.
In 2019, Roshan launched our Paving Access to Higher Education (PATH) initiative. By forming partnerships with Sampoerna University and providing various forms of support to candidates, our initiative seeks to facilitate the enrollment and success of refugees in university while they wait for resettlement. Our first cohort, consisting of three students, have commenced their studies at Sampoerna University and are all pursuing accredited Associate’s or Bachelor’s degrees from universities in the United States. While local regulations still prohibit refugee enrollment in the Indonesian higher education system, Roshan and Sampoerna were able to enroll the students through Sampoerna’s dual-degree partner, Broward College in Florida, USA. This is an exciting milestone as they are the first refugees in Indonesia to be formally enrolled in a university.
A Second Chance:
For two of the candidates, this opportunity is a chance to resume their university education, which had been disrupted when they had to leave home. Jamal and Ismail had both been pursuing engineering degrees in Iran and Afghanistan respectively. Last year, both were among the highest-scoring applicants in the Sampoerna entrance exams and are now back to studying engineering.
“I have always been thinking of getting back to university and finish my studies. Now that there is this opportunity for me, I hope I can finish it and get the degree,” says Jamal, who is studying Mechanical Engineering. While he found it challenging to go back to university, he appreciates having access to lecturers and libraries, as well as having classmates to study with. “These help me a lot to do better than self-study,” he says.
As he studies Industrial Engineering, Ismail is also enjoying the university experience. He finds his courses engaging and loves the atmosphere in the classroom. He already knows what he wants to do after he finishes his studies: “I want to work on energy efficiency and environmentally friendly products to optimize and minimize the use and cost of products. I also want to work for projects that are related to overcoming shortage and famine around the world.”
For Sidiqa, this is her first time experiencing life as a university student. Now in her second semester of Business Management, she has found motivation in her studies. “I get a very positive impact on my daily routine and also keeps me with strong spirit to continue my journey despite the many other challenges a refugee living in limbo [faces],” she says. “When I meet my classmates or friends in [the] library, I take a new hope to work harder to achieve my goals.”
We are excited that Jamal, Ismail, and Sidiqa are not only gaining the practical benefit of higher education, but also the opportunity to enjoy campus life and new friendships with Indonesian peers. Roshan is committed to supporting these students throughout the course of their studies. It is our hope that the success of this first cohort will inspire and pave the way for many other refugee students pursuing higher education.
