Alumni Relations Office

ASP Subject Based Discussion by Wiebke Hohberger

Syrian Refugees in Turkey: Current Efforts in the Field of Higher Education”

 Wiebke Hohberger, IPC

Turkey currently hosts approximately three million Syrians. It is to be expected that a high number of these “guests under temporary protection” will turn into long-term citizens. Therefore, national and international actors are increasingly making efforts to support their integration into Turkish society, especially in the fields of education and labor market. Although still representing only some 3% of university-aged Syrians, the number of Syrians at Turkish universities has been increased to more than 10,000.

This seminar outlines initial findings of an ongoing research project, which examines the current situation of Syrians in the field of higher education. Questions of research thereby concern the conditions of enrollment, opportunities of financial support in the form of scholarships, as well as special orientation programs on campus. Conversational interviews with Syrian university students conducted at Turkish universities additionally reveal Syrian students’ perspective on the different efforts made in the field of higher education so far. Their feedback as well as their remarks on their needs, not least, enable to give some policy recommendations to both universities and external state and non-state actors.