Abstract
There are an estimated 110 million displaced people in the world who have very limited access to higher education (HE). areUsafe tackles this regional and global challenge thanks to a transnational, multi-sited, extensive ethnographic study in South and South-East Asia. Displaced people are not a homogeneous group: age, gender, faith, ethnicity, castes and tribes, culture and the education system of country or region of origin are among the variables shaping both their migration trajectories and educational experiences and expectations. Nonetheless, they share one key experience: forced to flee their homes, they find themselves in a precarious life or what has been defined as a state of limbo. Against this backdrop, areUsafe is guided by a primary research question: are universities safe spaces for displaced people? This project traces and conceptualizes the HE journeys and experiences of displaced people, putting them at the centre of the inquiry. Scholarly literature argues that universities can be spaces for reproducing social inequalities; at the same time, they also offer the potential for transformation at personal, cultural and social levels. Ultimately, areUsafe will show whether the structural inequalities that maintain displaced people in a vulnerable position are reproduced (or not) by institutions such as universities. In doing so, it also provides critical insights for HE policy-makers and decision-makers as to whether or not, in this neoliberal age, universities can be regarded as sanctuaries with certain moral responsibilities vis-a-vis vulnerable students. areUsafe is an ambitious project led by a fellow supported by a team of globally recognized academics from different fields of study and institutions: the Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education (University of Newcastle, Australia), the Department of History and Cultures at the University of Bologna (Italy) and the UCL Institute of Education (UK).
Dettagli del progetto
Responsabile scientifico: Licia Proserpio
Strutture Unibo coinvolte:
Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civiltà
Coordinatore:
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - Università di Bologna(Italy)
Costo totale di progetto: Euro (EUR) 249.682,10
Contributo totale di progetto: Euro (EUR) 249.682,10
Costo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 249.682,10
Contributo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 249.682,10
Durata del progetto in mesi: 36
Data di inizio
20/03/2025
Data di fine:
19/03/2028
