Seminar on Refugee Higher Education and Mobility

On 31 January 2018, CELL's Principal Ayla Bonfiglio gave a public seminar entitled, "Understanding Refugee Agency and Mobility through the Pursuit of Tertiary Education" at the United Nations University – Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology and Maastricht University Graduate School of Governance (UNU-MERIT/MGSoG) at Maastricht University.

Drawing on more than 200 interviews with refugees and migrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia, who are living in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, Ayla lectured on the importance of higher education for refugees and migrants and how refugees’ and migrants' pursuit of such education can help us understand how they negotiate their displacement patterns and access protection. Briefly, Ayla discussed how refugees and migrants from areas of conflict can shape the timing of their displacement, destination, channels of movement, and modes of movement.

 

Photo Credit: Sueli Brodin, UNU-MERIT/MGSoG