The University of Barcelona takes in ten refugee students, six of them Palestinians
This autumn, the University of Barcelona will welcome six students from Palestine, two from Syria, one from the Democratic Republic of Congo and one from Somalia — six women and four men — as part of the Transition course to University Studies. This action is part of the UB’s support programme for refugees and people from conflict areas (UB Refuge), coordinated by the UB Solidarity Foundation and co-financed by the Barcelona City Council through the Directorate of Global Justice and International Cooperation Services. On this occasion, priority has been given to students from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, given the serious humanitarian situation in the area and in accordance with the measures approved by the UB’s Governing Board and Governing Council this spring.
This autumn, the University of Barcelona will welcome six students from Palestine, two from Syria, one from the Democratic Republic of Congo and one from Somalia — six women and four men — as part of the Transition course to University Studies. This action is part of the UB’s support programme for refugees and people from conflict areas (UB Refuge), coordinated by the UB Solidarity Foundation and co-financed by the Barcelona City Council through the Directorate of Global Justice and International Cooperation Services. On this occasion, priority has been given to students from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, given the serious humanitarian situation in the area and in accordance with the measures approved by the UB’s Governing Board and Governing Council this spring.
The rector of the UB, Joan Guàrdia, recalls that “the University of Barcelona’s vocation for solidarity is part of its intrinsic values”. “The UB Solidarity Foundation’s support programme is a beacon of hope in the darkness, enabling young people from countries in conflict to continue their education”.
The Transition course to University Studies is co-funded by the University and the Barcelona City Council, which has supported it since the first edition in 2016, and aims to promote the social and educational inclusion of refugee students through learning Catalan and Spanish, notions of human rights and knowledge of their environment. So far, the programme, which reaches its sixth edition in the 2024-2025 academic year, has taken in 75 people.
The UB, a pioneer in safe routes for the protection of individuals
The Transition course to University Studies is in line with the so-called “safe and complementary educational pathways to resettlement”, in which the UB is a pioneer in Spain, and which the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) promotes as an exceptional opportunity to continue university studies.
“We thank the University of Barcelona and the UB Solidarity Foundation for continuing to support this academic and solidarity action: it allows the young people who take part in it to recover part of the lives that have been ruined by war, persecution and human rights violations”, said Sophie Muller, UNHCR representative in Spain. “This programme not only represents hope for the future for these boys and girls, but also for their families and communities, and is a clear expression of the social function of the University and its value as a protection actor”, said Muller. “In addition, the arrival of people from other countries and cultures, and with different life experiences, is also an enrichment opportunity for the university community”, added the UNHCR representative.
Grants from the UB Refuge programme
The aid covers, among other things, exemption from tuition and associated fees for both the transition course and subsequent university studies; accommodation and full board in university residences; monthly maintenance; private health insurance; psycho-emotional accompaniment; psychological and psychiatric support, where appropriate; administrative and legal assistance; academic counselling; preparation for entry into the world of work; social mentoring and linguistic support from the UB community; knowledge of and involvement in associative networks in the city; and participation in cooperation projects with the UB; administrative and legal assistance; academic counselling; preparation for entry into the world of work; social mentoring and language support from the UB community; knowledge of and involvement in associative networks in the city; and participation in international cooperation projects or community projects linked to UB Solidarity. This coverage is the result of internal UB coordination and committed and consolidated work with local social entities.
The call received 138 applications from Afghanistan, Burundi, Congo, Palestine, Rwanda, Syria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. Fifty-six percent of the applicants applied for Master's degrees and 44% for Bachelor’s degrees. Specifically, of the ten people selected, seven will apply for Master’s degrees and three for further studies in the fields of social sciences and humanities and health sciences.
In the coming weeks, once we have received the acceptance of those selected, we will start applying for international student visas, which provide a regularized administrative situation during their stay in Barcelona.