©
Ian McClelland
In December 2021, the RSC’s Refugee-Led Research Hub (RLRH) launched a pilot support scheme for prospective graduate students who have been affected by forced displacement, e.g. as current or former refugees, asylum seekers, stateless, and IDPs. More than 70 individuals applied to take part in the scheme, and support was available for applicants based anywhere in the world.
Applicants were matched with current students and alumni of Oxford, who offered individualised support with the application process. In total, 25 prospective students were matched with advisors. Advisors were recruited from current and past cohorts of the MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies and other degrees at Oxford’s Department of International Development. Individualised support included guidance on course selection, detailed feedback on application materials, and 1:1 conversations for additional support. In addition, a tailored application support package containing relevant tools and resources was sent to all individuals who applied to take part in the scheme.
Collectively, applicants submitted more than 40 graduate applications to MSc, MPhil, and DPhil programmes by the January 21st deadline. Applications were made for degrees across the Social Sciences Division, including the MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, MSc in Migration Studies, and DPhil in International Development. Application fee waivers were provided to all applicants.
The RLRH will continue to support refugee and displaced candidates in future application cycles. If you are a current student or alumni of Oxford and are interested in taking part in future peer-to-peer mentorship programmes with refugee and other displaced scholars, please get in touch. You can reach out to Andonis Marden (andonis.marden@qeh.ox.ac.uk), who will connect you with relevant colleagues.