Stepping stone to learning opportunities
FOR years, Monash University Malaysia has been actively engaged in programmes aimed at assisting and empowering refugees through capacity building, funding and partnerships with multiple organisations through its School of Business.
Among them are Connecting and Equipping Refugees for Tertiary Education (CERTE) and the Social Protection Fund (SPF) programme, which aim to educate young adult refugees and help fund refugee community-based organisations (CBOs) respectively.
Both programmes are undertaken as collaborations with multiple partners, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia.
Priya Sharma, coordinator and ambassador of Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) at Monash Malaysia, shares that Malaysia is home to one of the largest urban refugee populations in the world.
PRME is a platform that aims to raise the sustainability profile in schools around the world and equip today’s business students with the understanding and ability to deliver change tomorrow.
“According to the latest UNHCR statistics, Malaysia hosts over 150,000 refugees and asylum seekers. About 90% of them are from Myanmar and the rest from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Pakistan or
Sri Lanka.
“Urban settings pose many challenges for refugees. In Malaysia especially, refugee children and youth do not have access to institutionalised schools and thus obtain education via an informal parallel system of community-based learning centres.
“Since this programme, the students have taken part in other initiatives to improve their education such as online learning and education-focused projects initiated by Teach for Refugees.
“The certificate not only endorses one’s participation, but also serves as a unique stepping stone to future learning opportunities in Malaysia and elsewhere.
Students who successfully complete the course are given the opportunity to sign up for a mentorship programme that will provide continued support in their university application process,” says Priya.
The three-week CERTE programme gives refugee youths across Kuala Lumpur, including those from Rohingya, Sudanese, Yemeni and Pakistani communities, exposure to university life. Participants are selected via interviews.
Through the programme, students are equipped with basic knowledge on the application process to higher education institutes, better understanding of subjects and different academic disciplines, and basic research skills in writing and presentations.
At the end of the programme, each participant is awarded a certificate of completion. While the CERTE bridge course does not guarantee students admission to universities, Priya notes that it is worth seeking the assistance and collaboration of each refugee’s respective embassy to find ways to overcome this issue.
Developing partnerships
Priya shares that the School of Business PRME is collaborating with UNHCR to implement UNHCR SPF initiative. It began in 2009 and operates as a fund for the provision of small grants to CBOs.
“Part of our role is to conduct workshops for CBO leaders and provide mentors to guide them. The workshops provide key tools to help the CBOs meet their individual needs, while also providing a platform for collaborative work and team-building.
“Each CBO is paired with a PRME mentor, who will be academics from various disciplines within Monash Malaysia’s School of Business.
“The mentors will also make site visits to oversee the implementation of the tools and resources and help identify and address questions and challenges as they arise,” says Priya. Three workshops will be conducted with the selected CBOs.
Priya hopes that this initiative will inspire students and staff to engage in more impactful measures surrounding UN’s 17 sustainable development goals and make efforts to partner with UN bodies and nongovernmental organisations to successfully impact society and communities.
For more information on Monash Malaysia’s School of Business, visit www. monash.edu.my/business