UNHCR provides scholarship to Syrian refugees in Kurdistan
Representational photo.
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the UN Refugee Agency, with the support of the German Government and the European Union, opened the first UNHCR DAFI scholarship program for Syrian refugees.
The scholarship covers tuition fees, costs of living and medical insurance to 120 Syrian refugees resided in Kurdistan Region.
DAFI, also known as the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Program, will support more than a hundred undergraduates each year. The program has been supporting refugees since 1992, helping them continue their higher education by providing scholarships to more than six thousand undergraduates worldwide.
The UNHCR Representative in Iraq, Bruno Geddo, said, “Refugee education is a major casualty in conflict. At the higher education level, just 1% of refugees attend university, compared to a global average of 34%.”
“The scholarship will not only cover the tuition fees, but also provides financial monthly support, as well as medical insurance and student counseling for up to five years. This will give a chance to 120 Syrian refugees to enroll into higher education this year,” Geddo added.
Geddo further added, “The Syrian crisis is now in its sixth year: it is essential to think beyond first-line emergency response for Syrian refugees. Providing Syrian refugees in the KR-I [Kurdistan Region of Iraq] with an opportunity to complete university in their host country is the way forward,” pointing out that, “Education is the keystone to empower refugees to shape their future and that of their communities.
The applications for this academic year will be received between the 18th of September and the 15th of October.
UNHCR is hoping to increase the number of beneficiaries in the next year, and also to include internally displaced Iraqi citizens and members of the host community in the program.