Navigating university spaces as refugees: Syrian students’ pathways of access to and through higher education in Turkey

Abstract

This paper aims to explore and understand how refugee students construct pathways of access to higher education and how they experience this education by drawing on interviews with fifteen Syrian university students studying at different universities across Turkey. The research is located within a capabilities-based human development paradigm from which it outlines the factors that enable students' access to university and the ways in which higher education expands the opportunities of students to lead better lives (capabilities) and the achievements (functionings) that they have reason to value. The refugees' narratives show that the pathways to access are intersectionally shaped by personal ambition and agency, family encouragement, support from those around them, gender, the government policy of lifting fees for refugees, and the availability of several scholarships. Student voices also show that higher education works as a site of justice where the everyday racism, xenophobia, and discrimination is alleviated to a significant degree through providing a peaceful and safe space for coexistence with others, and how it has an impact towards gender equality in their personal lives. The discussions indicate that higher education can be inclusive to the extent that it offers a space of equity for refugees and encourages them to work and act with others in order to expand the comprehensive capabilities of others.

Social inclusion of refugees into higher education: policies and practices of universities in Norway

“…Various actors have launched initiatives in host countries to help refugees access higher education, especially since the 2015 refugee crisis (Agrusti, 2018;Goastellec, 2018). Higher education institutions (HEIs) are undoubtedly the prime establishments that can facilitate refugees' access to, participation, and success in higher education through practical measures and policy relevant research outputs (Berg et al, 2021;Cin & Doğan, 2021;Stevenson & Baker, 2018;De Wit & Altbach, 2016). For instance, several universities in Germany provide language courses, preparatory academic programmes or bridging courses, peer and academic mentoring, and psychological support to refugees to facilitate their transition to higher education (Jungblut et al, 2020;Streitwieser & Brück, 2018;Streitwieser et al, 2017).…”

“…Turkish universities provide free language courses and scholarships while lifting tuition fees to lessen the barriers refugees face in pursing higher education in Turkey (Cin & Doğan, 2021). Universities in the US, despite lacking clear policies on refugee inclusion, provide scholarships, tuition waivers, housing, and flexible admission requirements to refugees (Streitwieser et al, 2020).…”

University Applicants from Refugee Backgrounds and the Intention to Drop Out from Pre‐Study Programs: A Mixed‐Methods Study

“…Financial problems represent obstacles to learning success and are likely to have an impact on the cost-benefit considerations in the transition to university (Lenette, 2016;Sontag, 2019), thus making employment or vocational training for refugee students far more attractive than the arduous route of pre-study programs (Baker & Irwin, 2019;Molla, 2019). Gender aspects and older age, respectively educational disruptions and family obligations, can put a strain on refugee students' learning (Cin & Doğan, 2020;Harris et al, 2015;Joyce et al, 2010).…”

Study Preparation of Refugees in Germany: How Teachers’ Evaluative Practices Shape Educational Trajectories

“…Each step poses a risk of failure and raises questions about whether they can ever achieve their academic goals. Every step requires a considerable transfer of cultural, social, and economic capital as well as appropriate information and guidance to navigate an unfamiliar education system (Bajwa et al, 2017;Cin & Doğan, 2020). Moreover, anchored in the lasting impact of this migration channel, which "creates specific opportunities and constraints for migrants" (Sandoz, 2018, p. 224), refugees' pathways to HE are further shaped by intersecting legal, institutional and social contexts, dependencies and connected resources in the host country (Berg, 2018;Détourbe & Goastellec, 2018;Sontag, 2019).…”