Are you interested in the well being of refugees and asylum seekers?
UM Initiated the ‘Netwerk Vluchtelingen en Onderwijs Zuid-Limburg’ (Network Refugees and Education Limburg South) with different stakeholders involved in education in the region of Limburg South. Stakeholders include primary school for refugees, International Bridging class, secondary education institution, University of Applied Sciences, Maastricht University, UM Language Centre, COA (Centraal Orgaan opvang Asielzoekers), VWN (Vluchtelingen Werk Nederland), Municipality of Maastricht, Refugee Project Maastricht (RPM) and more. The network meets every month and has proven very helpful in policy making and finding solutions in individual cases. We are committed to nurturing an inclusive culture and that strength lies in diversity. We want to grant access to education to those who seek for that, including refugees, asylum seekers and those in vulnerable situations.
The Network also recognizes challenging difficulties in the flow in education for refugees. For example, a high school diploma from many countries is not evaluated equal to a Dutch diploma, prospective students are very often deficient, teenagers cannot reach a desired diploma although they are intelligent, language requirements cannot be met, administrative issues keep refugees away from practical solutions, Ukrainian refugees have a different legal status and do not have equal opportunities, etc.
As a result, a reasonable number of refugees cannot continue in education simply because they do not meet, and they cannot reach, the entrance requirements for the next step in their educational path. Currently this group doesn’t have equal opportunities. In case these issues are streamlined, refugees would have the possibility to reach a desired education level, equal to their intellectual capabilities and become full-fledged members of society, in the Netherlands or elsewhere. That needs to change, and we need your help!
We are looking for creative PREMIUM students who can identify these administrative, legal, social, financial and intercultural problems, turn these problems into solutions and as such design a new and improved flow in education and administration.
Are you able to combine issues and offer hands on solutions? Then you are welcome to participate in this challenging project and make impact into many lives!
