Since March 2011, Syria has been plagued by conflict. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that at least 250,000 Syrians have died, over four million have fled internationally, and over six million have been internally displaced. In view of the increasing hopeless situation, educational institutions in the United States have started becoming more involved in efforts to help these displaced persons.
As the war wages on and millions more become displaced, this refugee crisis is gaining greater international attention. Thousands of these refugees are students who were in the process of completing their education in Syria. Now, without the prospect of returning home, they are left with little hope of continuing their schooling. At Princeton, the impetus for action has come primarily from its students. In 2014 two Princeton students obtained a $10,000 grant to work with Syrian refugees and Jordanian children. Currently, students at the Woodrow Wilson School have started the “Princeton Refugee Project.” Their efforts aim to provide a full scholarship to a Syrian student from the Zatari Refugee Camp to attend university in Amman, Jordan. Despite fabulous efforts from student activists, little has been done at an administrative level to address this growing crisis.
While host countries and the UNHCR are working to provide primary education to Syrian children, the young Syrian men and women pursuing a higher education face a much more difficult task. For this reason, the International Institute of Education (IIE) has developed a Syria Consortium to provide opportunities for higher education to Syrian refugees from around the world. Currently, over fifty global institutions of higher learning have become part of the consortium and have agreed to accept refugees as part of their diverse and vibrant campus life. Most recently, the University of Southern California announced that it joined the IIE and will offer six scholarships (five graduate and one undergraduate) to Syrian refugee students yearly, beginning in 2017. At the moment Dartmouth College is the only Ivy League institution that is a member of this consortium, though Brown University’s Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology has also joined.
As members of the Princeton Community, we should encourage our institution to be a leader among its peers and join the IIE Syria Consortium. Considering the University's generous financial aid policies and its commitment to diversity, we urge Princeton to lead the way in offering places to talented and qualified Syrian refugee students who are looking for a second chance at beginning or finishing their education. Offering support to Syrian students means contributing not only to the formation of individual persons, but also to the future reconstruction of Syrian society. Their background and experiences should be embraced and celebrated in the educational environment — not seen as an impediment towards their academic future.
We invite all Princeton members to show their support by adding their name to our "Books-not-Bombs" online petition. As of today, more than 100 Princeton students, alumni and faculty members have already added their names. Although signing the petition may be a small and simple step, perhaps this is a good time to champion the newly proposed unofficial motto, “In the nation’s service and in the service of humanity.” There is no better time to act in the service of providing institutional support for talented refugee students worldwide and to enhance the vibrant and diverse educational environment of Princeton University at home. Let us be leaders among our peers and offer educational opportunities to a more diverse and experienced group of applicants.
Signed,
Cecilia Palombo GS
Nadirah Mansour GS
Peter Kitlas GS
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