The Centre for Lebanese Studies and the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge invite you to attend the hybrid seminar marking Refugee Day 2023

“Pushing the boundaries of research, policy, and practice for education and Displacement"

Monday, 19 June 2023, Room 1S7 at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
10 am– 12:30 pm UK time
12 – 2 pm Beirut Time

Attend on Zoom:
https://tinyurl.com/4rwc8y7t

 

Chair: Dr. Maha Shuayb (Centre for Lebanese Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge)

Discussant: Prof Yusuf Sayed (University of Sussex, University of Cambridge)

Speakers:
Prof. Leon Tikly (School of Education, University of Bristol),

Jee Rubin and Dr. Jess Oddy (Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge and Centre for Migration, Refugees and Belonging, University of East London)

Jáfia Câmara, PhD (Centre for Lebanese Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge)

Mai Abou Moghli, PhD (Centre for Lebanese Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge)

 

About the seminar:

This seminar aims to bring together speakers to unpack knowledge production, critique aid practices, and examine policy and practice of education for refugees in both the global north and south, with the aim of enriching the field and promoting more inclusive and equitable education opportunities for refugees.
Over the past two decades, the field of education for refugees has gained significant attention and has become an integral part of any humanitarian response, evidenced by the proliferation of policies, practices, and funding, as well as the flourishing body of knowledge in recent years (Brun & Shuayb, 2020; Burde et al., 2019; Dryden-Peterson, 2022; Shuayb & Crul, 2020). However, despite this increased attention, the field remains fraught with many tensions, particularly regarding funding. Education is one of the most underfunded areas of humanitarian aid, with only about 3% of global humanitarian funding allocated to education according to EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid.

As one of the prominent education donors, the European Union (EU) has shaped education policies globally and has invested in preventing more refugee arrivals at its borders by providing aid to countries such as Lebanon, which hosts one of the world's largest refugee populations. UN agencies, supported by international experts and academics, have also played a significant role in shaping the discourse on education for refugees. However, emerging evidence from the field has highlighted gaps in the current discourse, such as high dropout rates in secondary education and under-examined links between the right to education and access to other rights.

The industry that has developed around education for refugees has come under further scrutiny in recent years. Aid-driven education programs and provisions have long been criticized for their agendas and colonial legacies. The alliances, partnerships, and compacts within the field are being interrogated. The near-policy-funded research that has dominated the existing body of knowledge has limited critical thinking and imagination. Furthermore, a growing rupture has evolved within the field due to the domination of research and policy by humanitarian agencies in the global north over the global south, with limited cross-debating and dialogue.