The Syrian refugee crisis has become one of the most challenging contemporary global humanitarian crises. Not only has the seven-year conflict resulted in the tremendous loss of lives and livelihoods for Syrians, it has also led to the creation of a generation of lost and traumatized refugee children and youth in dire need of education throughout their prolonged displacement. More than four million Syrians have fled the war to become refugees in the neighboring countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The majority of the refugees reside in neighboring countries within the region. Before the war, an estimated 20 percent of Syrian young people were enrolled in tertiary education (EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, 2016), but as the war continues, Syrian refugee youth face barriers accessing tertiary education in the countries in which they seek refuge. The continued disruption of Syrians’ tertiary education poses a great threat to their financial status and quality of life. Increasing access to tertiary education for Syrian refugees is not only critical to prepare the labor force for rebuilding post-war Syria, but also to provide these young people with a meaningful contribution to life. This presentation highlights the findings of an investigation that aims to identify major lines of action in tertiary education in emergencies, namely, legal frameworks and policies implemented by key stakeholders within the sector, whilst offering insights into the current status of tertiary education for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. It is based on a comparative study in four host countries in the MENA region, which offers policy and program recommendations to decision-makers within the national and international communities, with the overall goal to improve and guide further practice and research in supporting protracted refugee situations to access tertiary education. |