University of California Irvine: Create a Scholarship Fund for Students Displaced by Conflict
We call on University of California Irvine to create a scholarship fund for students displaced by conflict. We also call on UCI to join the Syria Consortium and encourage other institutions to join by raising awareness about the plight of Syrian students. We also call on leaders of the international community to take action to protect school and students in Syria, by whatever means necessary.
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Millions of Syrian high school graduates and college students are unable to pursue their dream of a college degree. Thousands of schools have been destroyed, unfairly depriving Syrian students from their right to education. Millions of Syrian students are now refugees, with no nearby school. Millions more are too afraid to go to school because a bomb could fall on the school at any time.
While host countries and the UNHCR can provide primary education for Syrian children, the young Syrian men and women pursuing a higher education face a much more difficult task. With logistical and financial barriers to overcome, these students are unable to continue their education without institutional assistance.
That's why we call on the University of California, Irvine to pilot a scholarship fund for students displaced by conflict. We also call on the University of California Regents to join the IIE Syria Consortium by creating academic seats for educationally displaced students at each UC campus. We also call on leaders of the international community to take action to protect schools and students in Syria, by whatever means necessary.
The Syria Consortium, created by the International Institute of Education (IIE) has brought together over 60 universities that have committed to offering Syrian students and scholars a safe haven to continue their studies abroad. As places of academic and educational opportunity, this is the most practical way for universities to contribute humanitarian aid to the unprecedented and desperate plight of the Syrian people. But we need more universities to join this effort.
The University of California, Irvine accepts over 30,000 students every year, offering many generous scholarships. As students of UCI, we think that some of the seats should go to Syrian refugees who would otherwise have no education. We are calling on the UC Regents to join the Syria Consortium organized by the IIE to offer academic seats for Syrian students. We hope that UCI can be a leader for universities around the world by offering these Syrian students a second chance at getting their education.
