From InclUUsion to Integration - Refugee higher education: the benefits of inclusive policies on the integration process A case-study on the InclUUsion program

Abstract

The integration of refugees is a multi-layered process of which the success is determined by both their personal experience, and the conditions and opportunities offered by the hosting community. This study recognises higher education offered to refugees as a possibility for them to develop socio-cultural and structural integration and approaches InclUUsion, a program directed towards refugees affiliated with Utrecht University (NL), as a case -study. The purpose of this research is to understand what policies and strategies designed by local schools can holistically benefit refugees’ integration. For a complete overview, this research focuses both on the analysis of InclUUsion practices towards diversity, and the refugee students’ feedback and experiences within the program. According to indicators measuring the integration process, students’ participation in the InclUUsion program improves their social connections with local members and initiatives, as well as their general and cultural knowledge and confidence in communicating. These findings reveal that policies based on self-reflectivity, flexibility and interest in promoting synergy between all the parts involved, can give shape to an inclusive educational environment that stimulates refugees to identify as students and step inside the local community.