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Students from Refugee Backgrounds' Pathways To and Through Higher Education: Experiences of Access, Participation, and Success Across Contrasting University Contexts in Brasil
Presenter: Marcela Gola-Boutros
Chair: Dr Alejandro Farrieta-Barrera
Only 9% of refugees worldwide have access to higher education, compared to a global average of 43% among the general population. Brazil hosts nearly one million people in need of international protection and has the largest higher education system in Latin America. This presentation explores findings from research examining the factors that enable students from refugee backgrounds to successfully access, participate in, and complete higher education across two contrasting institutional contexts in Brazil: the North and the South of the country.
Drawing on interviews with 48 Venezuelan and Haitian students, the study captured elements of their pre- and post-migration experiences that shaped their access to, and pathways through, university. The broader political, economic and cultural contexts in which each institution operates were also explored through the perspectives of the students, academic staff, and representatives of UNHCR. By examining these experiences, the research highlights the role of universities in responding to forced displacement and identifies ways in which institutions can better welcome and support refugee students, contributing to key global targets such as UNHCR’s 15by30 initiative and SDG4.