Awarded $50,000
to launch plan to help refugee students in Rwanda access higher education
SOUTH
PORTLAND, Maine, July 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Three teams of university
students traveled to the 12th Annual CIEE Global
Internship Conference (GIC) in London,
England for the finals of the second annual CIEE UNHCR
Student Challenge where they presented solution ideas to
support increasing access to higher education and livelihood for
forcibly displaced youth around the world.
"I learned so much about how we, as
university students, can make a real difference," said Joselyto
Charite Baho.
The winning team was the Eagles, comprised of Amina Mkova
(Team Captain); Obed Korusenge Nsanzimfura; Joselyto Charite Baho,
all from Kepler College, Rwanda; and Nimco
Ibrahim from African Leadership University,
Rwanda.
Eligible members of the winning team will each be awarded a CIEE
summer global internship, and CIEE has pledged $50,000 to support the team's solution idea,
consisting of a comprehensive and sustainable mentoring program
that supports high school students who are forcibly displaced and
need help bridging the knowledge gap to gain university admission,
refugee students enrolled in higher education programs who need
help navigating university, and soon-to-be-graduates who need help
preparing for careers and networking.
This year, 130 teams comprised of 470 students from 38 countries
representing 80 colleges and universities entered the CIEE UNHCR
Student Challenge, which was cosponsored by CIEE and UNHCR,
the UN Refugee Agency, with challenge partners District C and
Microsoft providing additional support.
In the semifinals, 36 teams representing 47 universities, and 21
countries were selected to further develop and present their ideas
virtually to judges from across the globe representing
organizations advocating for refugees, including the UNHCR, the UN
Refugee Agency, Kepler, the President's Alliance for Immigration
and Higher Education, Talent Beyond Boundaries, and Jesuit
Worldwide Learning.
The judges selected the top three teams to advance to the finals
based on the potential of their solution ideas to address this
critical challenge facing refugees. The finalists were awarded a
trip to London to compete for the
grand prize at the 2024 CIEE UNHCR Student Challenge Finals.
In the finals, the top three teams presented their proposals
during the closing plenary before a panel of judges:
James P. Pellow, President
and CEO of CIEE; refugee experts Ruth
Nyabuto, Academic Manager, University of Oxford Refugee Studies Center,
Refugee-Led Research Hub (RLRH); and Tahlia Dwyer, Legal Officer, UNHCR.
In addition to the Eagles, judges heard impressive
presentations from the two runners-up teams, including a team
from Wellesley College,
named Wellesley in the World,
and represented by Merelin Baldonado
(Team Captain), Ilinca Drondoe, and
Suzanna Schofield; and a team from
four different colleges, named Three Paths, and represented
by Mia Williams (Team
Captain) University of
Pennsylvania; Zamzam Fadhil, San Diego Mesa College; Ahmednoor
Hassan, Bates College; and
Kay Ellen Bell, Bard
College. Team Three Paths met as high school
students in 2022 while on a CIEE language and culture program in
Rabat, Morocco. They decided to
compete as a team from their current colleges located in three
regions of the U.S.
"All the student proposals for solutions to help refugees were
impressive," said judge James P. Pellow. "The design of
the Eagles' solution was both practical and impactful and
the judges felt it had a strong possibility of being successful. In
fact, all three judges pledged to help Team Eagles in some
way, with CIEE pledging $50,000 to
support the pilot program, refugee expert Ruth Nyabuto signing on to mentor these
ambitious students, and Tahlia Dwyer
of UNHCR pledging to explore ways that UNHCR could promote the
project."
"I was honored to listen to the project ideas from the three
groups," said judge Ruth Nyabuto. "What stood out for
me was the amount of thoughtfulness, hard work and detailed
understanding of the displacement contexts they all intended to
respond to. While all their proposals were stellar, Eagles's
proposal which sought to address access to higher education had a
more convincing implementation plan. Through RLRH which has been
running a graduate application mentorship 'Graduate Horizons'
we hope to offer mentorship to the group as they set up their
project."
Eagles Team Captain, Amina Mkova (who due to
travel issues participated in the finals virtually) explained that
her favorite part of the challenge was the opportunity to help
forcibly displaced and refugee students in Rwanda access and seamlessly transition into
higher education. "I believe that empowering them will enable them
to reach their full potential and achieve their dreams," she
said.
"Participating in the Student Challenge was an incredible and
eye-opening experience," said Eagles team member Joselyto
Charite Baho. "As a first-time international traveler, visiting
London for the finals was exciting
in itself, but the entire competition process exceeded my
expectations. Through the three phases - from the initial proposal
to the final presentation in London - I learned so much about how we, as
university students, can make a real difference."
"UNHCR congratulates all the CIEE student teams and particularly
the winning team from Rwanda –
the Eagles! Their ingenuity and dedication demonstrate the
transformative impact that higher education can have on refugee
students, empowering them to achieve their aspirations and
contribute insight and expertise to global dialogues," said
Manal Stulgaitis, Division of
Resilience and Solutions, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. "The
innovative ideas and solutions presented by all teams confirms the
value of including young people in addressing the global challenge
of increasing access to higher education and livelihood for
forcibly displaced youth."
About UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to
saving lives, protecting rights, and building a better future for
refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people.
Worldwide, over 120 million people have been forced to flee their
homes due to conflict, violence, and persecution. UNHCR, the UN
Refugee Agency, believes that young people have a central role to
play in finding ways to help them thrive, not just
survive.
About CIEE
CIEE builds bridges between different people, different countries,
and different cultures. For 75 years, we have helped young people
participate in high-quality international exchange and study abroad
programs that bring the world together. We change lives, our alumni
change the world. Learn more at ciee.org.
Media contact: Leslie Taylor,
media@ciee.org, (207) 553-4274
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SOURCE Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)