Report
Teaser, summary, work performed and final results
Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SCIREA (Science4Refugees in Aegean Archipelago)
Teaser
The Syrian Civil war forced millions of people to seek for asylum in neighborhood and European countries. However, in 2015 the massive movement of refugees (in the majority Syrian) was observed from the Eastern Mediterranean route along the Western Balkan route. Very soon, the...
Summary
The Syrian Civil war forced millions of people to seek for asylum in neighborhood and European countries. However, in 2015 the massive movement of refugees (in the majority Syrian) was observed from the Eastern Mediterranean route along the Western Balkan route. Very soon, the limited capacity of the EU countries to host the thousands of refugees initiated the borders closing of the European transit countries and a long waiting period has started for those of them who remained in South European countries such as Greece and Italy. Very rapidly raised the need for their integration in the labour, academic market and generally in the Greek society. The objective of the SCIREA project (http://scirea.aegean.gr/index.php) is to help asylum seekers and refugees scientists, especially those living in Greece, to re-integrate in the academia and in the labour market of Europe and to improve their qualifications. In particular, the attention is addressed to the highly skilled refugee’s scientists.
Work performed
Following the advice of the SCIREA project members the front desk office in Moria (Identification center, Lesvos) started to collect information for first time in March of 2018 related to the educational level of the incomers. The first analysis showed that almost 7% of the refugees have a university degree and 1% of them a Master’s or even a PhD degree. Through the research conducted in SCIREA project the skills and qualifications of the incomers are registered and their educational needs are identified with ultimate goal to provide tools and curricula aimed at creating real chances for internship, training or employment.
Considering the peculiarity of the subject, research methodology consists of different work packages, which are described as follows: a) analysis at European level, b) analysis of stakeholders, c) Digital Think Tank: group discussion with the main stakeholders involved., d) ethnographic research.
The research methodology is based partially on an ethnographic approach and a sample survey, adapted on the specific topic and research field in order to better mirror the design of the project. The most important part of the survey was carried out at the Moria Identification Center and the Karatepe refugee hosting center in Lesvos in cooperation with the local authorities in accordance with procedures that follow the principle of the protection of personal data (ethics) and procedures regarding access to refugee reception areas.
The possible structure for seminars oriented at promoting the inclusion of refugees in the academia is planned. Trans-cutting topics are covered such as skills assessment and computer skills.
The seminars take place in the UAeg premises with participants of various nationality and age and the topics covered are computer skills. The first chapter of the SCIREA e-book is available on-line in English, Farsi and Arabic, providing the necessary information for refugees to continue their studies in EU.
Additionally SCIREA project offers 25 months of fellowships. The fellowship program will contribute to the professional development of individual fellows and will include intensive training. Advertisement of the fellowships took place in order to attract the highly skilled refugees scientists in various sites, in the camps and in several events and meetings with community leaders and NGOs and refugees. The hosting committee prepared the hosting procedures regulations, set the selection criteria for granting the fellowships and selected the candidates. Having selected the candidate for the fellowship the committee had to help her to fulfil the requirement to work in a Greek University.
Finally the project objectives and outcomes are presented in various groups of stakeholders, in conferences and in meetings. Strong synergies with other EU and national projects guide in better project outcomes.
The SCIREA project helps gradually adapting novel educational structures and reforms of the conventional educational system to integrate refugees scientists.
Final results
The impact of SCIREA project has already in the 1st reporting period significant results such as parts of the E-Book, seminars, hosting regulation procedures. Very important is the creation of an extremely wide network consisting by refugee’s scientists, NGOs, universities, project leaders, municipality and prefecture representatives, community leaders, academics, volunteers that is used in various stages of activities, planning and dissemination of SCIREA project.
The University of the Aegean in the framework of SCIREA project has responded in various ways in the refugee needs, following a well-structured and regularly updated work plan and made important steps towards the diminishing of political, institutional and societal constraints, which oppose refugees incorporation into the labour market and higher education institutes.
Tangible outcomes of the 1st reporting period:
1. Research models and methods, Ethnographic research: A new methodology is developed and applied comprising by analysis at European level, Think tank, interviews, Questionnaires etc
2. Quantitative analysis, Surveys results: Results from the >100 Questionnaires are already an important product, useful for the ministry, various funding mechanisms and other related EU and national projects
3. Seminars regulations: Report giving guidelines and recommendations to organize and plan the seminars
4. Scholarships, Refugees hosting procedures; Report giving the necessary steps to host refugees scientists
5. Seminars for refugees: A serious of seminars are organized at the UAeg premises and each seminar topic is accompanied by the educational material
6. SCIREA E-Book: The first chapter of the electronic book is already available on the internet with the subject “study in EU†in English and Farsi
7. Courses of basic English and German in section B of the Moria camp: Other potentially transferable models elaborated under the SCIREA project concern the organization of communication and education events with a strong symbolic potential, able to promote the image of women researchers/scientists within the camps. We organize evening’s courses of basic English and German inside the section B of Moria camp. The instructors are women refugees that are scientists or researchers.
8. SCIREA website: The website is a strong communication tool of the project.
9. A descriptive study of the Schooling and Higher Education reforms to respond to the refugee’s fluxes in Greece: This article critically examines the adaptation of the Greek schooling system and the planning of the higher education sector of Greece to accept and integrate refugees through the case study of the University of the Aegean (UAeg). It is a study published to the Social Sciences Journal of MDPI Article
10. SCIREA project activities presented in conferences and meetings (ie, inHERE Final Conference 19 September 2018)
11. Strong synergies with other EU and national projects guide in better project outcomes.
Website & more info
More info: http://scirea.aegean.gr/.