A humanitarian disaster that has affected the Rohingyas, a minority group in Myanmar that has been facing discrimination, violence, and persecution since 1968. The crisis, caused by Myanmar's military junta's human rights abuses against the Rohingyas, has led to one of the largest refugee crises in recent history. Despite international condemnation and assistance from the government of Bangladesh, UN bodies, and international organizations, finding a sustainable solution to the crisis remains a daunting challenge that necessitates international cooperation to address root causes, ensure accountability, and protect the Rohingyas.
Published in Chapter:
Access to Higher Education for the Rohingya Refugees: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Directions
M. Mahruf C. Shohel (University of Roehampton, UK),
Md Ashrafuzzaman (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Digital University, Bangladesh),
Rasel Babu (McGill University, Canada),
Tahmina Akter (University of Nottingham, UK),
Nazia Tasnim (University of Massachusetts, USA), and
Asif Bayezid (University of Glasgow, UK)
Copyright: © 2023
|Pages: 33
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-7781-6.ch005
Abstract
The Rohingyas, an ethnic minority of Myanmar, have been denied human rights, including citizenship rights. Hostile situations in Rakhine State forced them to flee from their motherland and seek refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh and other countries. This chapter presents the challenges and opportunities of providing higher education for the Rohingya refugees. It also presents the current opportunities for refugee higher education in the South Asian and international contexts. Significant recommendations include simplifying the bureaucratic process concerning their access to higher education, collaborating between the government, donors and overseas universities regarding the Rohingya students' admission to higher education, and providing adequate financial support for higher education. It also suggests organising a teacher development programme to provide education to the Rohingya refugees, ensuring counselling support, and conducting need-based research to formulate appropriate evidence-based policies and curricula for enhancing access to higher education for the Rohingya refugees.