Integrating refugees into higher education – the impact of a new online education program for policies and practices

ABSTRACT Gaining access to higher education (HE) is a serious concern for refugees. Although studies on the integration and success of refugees in HE are scarce, the challenges associated with this issue as well as its international relevance are becoming apparent. The Success and Opportunities for Refugees in Higher Education (SUCCESS) project was launched to investigate the effectiveness of new online study programs offered through the Kiron Open Higher Education (Kiron) platform, the aim of which is to provide refugees worldwide with the opportunity to access HE. The results of the first project phase based on data from the enrolment process present an extremely heterogeneous sample. The students come from 54 countries around the world and are currently located in over 66 countries; their educational biographies and their language proficiency vary greatly. The described diversity, especially between the different current places of residence, and possible implications for practice and politics are discussed. The evidence from the SUCCESS project indicates that refugee students exhibit significant differences in level of education, and internal and external (pre)conditions and that the successful integration of refugees into HE worldwide requires new approaches to designing effective instructional and assessment methods.