Topic

Access to higher education for refugees

Doctors. Lawyers. Physicists. Humanities scholars. Psychologists. Every day, people with a wealth of knowledge and skills come to Switzerland. People who have had to leave their home countries, applied for asylum in Switzerland, and now want to contribute to society here. But despite their qualifications, many refugees face numerous obstacles on their path to Swiss universities and the skilled labor market. High language requirements, unrecognized prior education and diplomas, and the question of financing make it difficult to (re)take up studies. The Swiss Student Union is working to promote institutional openness and greater equality of opportunity in access to higher education for refugees through two projects: Perspectives – Studies and INVOST – Preparatory Integration Studies at Universities of Applied Sciences.

Perspectives – Studies, launched by the Swiss Student Union in 2016, seeks to make it easier for refugees to access higher education. As part of this programme, we advise refugees, support local projects, brief professionals and lobby policymakers.

Published in 2016, the position paper and the demands set out in Hochschulzugang für studentische Geflüchtete [university access for student refugees] inform the programme’s activities. In 2020, we worked with more than 50 student refugees and student volunteers to update these demands. Our list of demands is set out here. Here you can find our current demands.

The core element of this project is www.perspektiven-studium.ch, an information platform designed specifically for refugees who are interested in enrolling at a university and for professionals who work with the refugee and asylum-seeker community. Perspectives – Studies is working with over 17 local projects launched since 2016. Based in the universities themselves, these projects provide refugees with a range of measures, including help with preparing for university admission and other key support services. You can find more information and contact details here: Overview of university projects.

Another strand of our work involves briefing education and integration professionals and bringing the different stakeholders together. The goal of these efforts is to ensure that well- qualified refugees receive the advice and support they need to embark on a course of study. Last but not least, we also lobby policymakers at the national, cantonal and university level to ensure that equal access to higher education extends to refugees too.

Advice

Are you a refugee in Switzerland, interested in studying in Switzerland? Or do you want to have your degree recognised?
Are you helping and supporting refugees and are in need of information about studying in Switzerland?
Do you want to start a project supporting highly qualified refugees?

Contact us

Project Team Perspectives – Studies Swiss Student Union: Sabine Zurschmitten, Nora Burla and Simone Keller, perspektiven-studium[at]vss-unes.ch,
perspektiven-studium@vss-unes.ch

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A current insight

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Partners

The INVOST project – preparatory integration studies at universities of applied sciences – enables qualified refugees to prepare for regular studies at a university of applied sciences and art (UAS) with targeted support measures. (UAS). By providing refugees with academic bridge programs, integration through tertiary education is made possible.

INVOST is a collaborative project between the Swiss Student Union (VSS-UNES-USU), the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO) and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW).

Since the fall semester of 2021, refugees with the intention and potential to study at the two universities of applied sciences have had the opportunity to acquire skills for higher education. The offerings include language courses, some subject-specific courses, and/or the opportunity to attend regular courses as guest students. If they do not yet have the practical experience required for a university of applied sciences degree, they will also be required to complete an internship. Refugees are supported in their everyday studies by mentoring and coaching from university staff and/or students. After completing the bridge program, those who meet the regular admission requirements of the universities will be admitted to their chosen degree program.

While the FHNW and HES-SO are responsible for the structural implementation of the bridge programs, the INVOST project management team at the VSS supports the two universities in an advisory capacity. It also assists other universities of applied sciences that are committed to helping refugees gain access to higher education and promotes knowledge transfer and the dissemination of best practices. It is also committed to networking and inter-institutional cooperation between Swiss universities, authorities, and economic actors, and carries out information, awareness-raising, and communication work.

The supported bridge programs are intended to serve as models for further advancing the process of opening up educational institutions to refugees and providing them with equal opportunities for access to higher education.