Abertay University joins UK universities in new coordinated effort to support refugees

Abertay University has joined a new coalition of UK institutions working to improve support for students and scholars affected by humanitarian crises. 

The Global Response Platform, led by the non-governmental organisation Mosaik Education, will help universities coordinate their work during international emergencies, drawing on lessons learned from the sector’s response to conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. 

The platform will bring universities together to share learning, plan jointly and deliver support in a more consistent and sustainable way. It also aims to reduce the burden on individual institutions at a time when the higher education sector is managing significant financial pressures. 

The coalition brings together a dozen UK universities and organisations, including the universities of London, Leeds, Warwick, the University of the Arts London, Birkbeck and Cardiff, alongside Abertay. Universities UK, the British Council and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are also involved. 

The initiative launches as universities look for new ways to support displaced students who may face growing challenges in accessing education overseas. Recent changes to US visa policy have made it harder for at-risk scholars and refugee students to continue their studies there, increasing demand for support from UK institutions. 

Organisations such as Scholars at Risk and the Duolingo English Test have noted that the UK is becoming an increasingly important destination for students who can no longer pursue opportunities in the US. Both groups have begun working more closely with UK universities to identify placements and scholarships. 

Professor Liz Bacon, Principal at Abertay University, said: 

Abertay is proud to join this coalition, which brings together universities committed to supporting students and scholars whose lives have been disrupted by conflict and crisis. Taking part in this initiative reflects our ethos of fairness, opportunity and supporting those who need it most. By working collectively, we can open up real opportunities for people who might otherwise be excluded from higher education and ensure they have the support they need to continue their studies and rebuild their futures.

The sudden onset of the war in Ukraine in 2022 demonstrated how difficult it can be for institutions to respond quickly and effectively to new crises. The UK–Ukraine Twinning Initiative, launched later that year, offered a model for more coordinated action by pairing UK universities with Ukrainian institutions. 

Charles Cormack, founder of the twinning initiative, said the new platform will build on that success and help UK universities respond more effectively to future crises. 

One of the Global Response Platform’s first areas of work will be supporting refugee inclusion at UK institutions’ international branch campuses. This aligns with the UK government’s latest international education strategy, which places increasing emphasis on transnational education. 

Ben Webster, CEO of Mosaik Education, said:  

The new platform aims to expand access for displaced learners through online provision, transnational education and partnership models. Whether in refugee camps in Jordan or displaced communities in Egypt, talented learners are too often left without viable pathways to higher education. A coordinated approach will help change that.