In this reflection, we draw on our findings, experiences, and recommendations from supporting admissions processes for refugees and asylum seekers into higher education across universities in Uganda, Edinburgh, and Oxford. We reflect on the practical, institutional, and systemic barriers that displaced populations face in gaining admission to universities (beyond disrupted secondary schooling and a dearth of financing and scholarship options, which are most often discussed in this context), and detail what factors we saw as key to enabling and driving institutional change in these spaces.

 

University of British Columbia students, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs.As one of his first major policies, US President Donald Trump enacted massive freezes in US foreign aid. In the aftermath, the global humanitarian landscape has undergone significant disruption. As one of the largest providers of aid, American withdrawal from aid provision has left many partners, including Uganda, seeking alternative routes. However, aid dependency, when coupled with ineffective or uninformed foreign interventions, has left many communities frustrated and disillusioned.

 

RLP at 20 is up in gears with several amazing initiatives and ground-breaking work. We recently concluded a Sexual Violence Symposium under the theme “Sexual Violence in Conflict: Advancing the Agenda?” (report yet to be published) and we are finalising arrangements for the upcoming South-South Institute on Sexual Violence Against Men and Boys in Conflict and Forced Displacement guided by the theme “Bridging the Sexual Violence Torture Divide” – all of which are important initiatives in advancing conversations on sexual violence in conflict.