


































Global Research in Higher Education 
ISSN 2576-196X (Print) ISSN 2576-1951 (Online) 

Vol. 4, No. 1, 2021 

www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe 

64 
 

Original Paper 

Resilience and Empowerment through Higher Education in 

Kakuma Refugee Camp: A Conversation 

Paul O‟Keeffe
1*

 & Samuel Niyonkuru
2
 

1
 InZone, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland  

2
 InZone, University of Geneva, Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya 

*
 Paul O‟Keeffe, InZone, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland 

 

Received: January 5, 2021     Accepted: January 28, 2021    Online Published: February 25, 2021 

doi:10.22158/grhe.v4n1p64             URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/grhe.v4n1p64 

 

Abstract 

Resilience and empowerment are concepts that recently have become popularised in the world of 

forced displacement management policy and practice. Often undervalued and dismissed as being 

buzzwords, these concepts have become bound up in the burgeoning study of higher education in 

refugee contexts. This article explores these themes in the frame of a real-world experience of studying 

a blended learning medical studies course in Kakuma refugee camp and the impact it has had on an 

individual’s life and that of his community. Building on the academic discourse, we present a case 

study of the individual’s experience of studying an online and face-to-face course in Kakuma refugee 

camp and subsequently undertaking an internship with a local health care organisation. Through a 

discursive conversation, the subject of the case study reveals the positive impact this educational 

experience has fostered in his life by instilling resilience and empowering him to become a force for 

positive change in his community. 

Keywords 

Refugees, blended learning, resilience, empowerment, collaborative learning 

 

1. Introduction 

Much has been written about the importance of fostering “resilience” and “empowerment” for refugees 

around the world (Selijpen et al., 2017). As concepts, while not always clearly defined or universally 

accepted, they have been playing increasingly important roles in the forced displacement management 

discourse in recent years. Resilience in particular, has become somewhat of a buzzword in the 

humanitarian-development nexus for promising effective, efficient and sustainable satisfaction of needs, 

yet how it is quantified and translates into real life is often vague (Anholt & Sinatti, 2019). A possible 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 4, No. 1, 2021 

65 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

explanation for this could be the relative novelty of the concepts in the literature, resulting in the 

concepts being untested and a lack of clarity as to the uncertainty around their meaning. Alternatively, 

as some authors suggest, such buzzwords are often used precisely for their vague and euphemistic 

qualities as they cannot be challenged and act as smokescreens for ulterior motives and political 

agendas (Arar, 2017; Kelberer, 2017; Tsourapas, 2019; Cornwall, 2019). 

Regardless of the possible agendas at play, resilience and empowerment have a stature in the field of 

forced displacement and thus deserve academic attention. To better try to understand this stature and its 

impact, it is useful to begin with an understanding of what these concepts are generally purported to be. 

In order to do so this article follows the popular Brodsky and Cattaneo‟s (2013) perspective which 

defines resilience in a refugee context as a process of developing “intrapersonal changes” to allow 

refugees to successfully adapt to and/or withstand inevitable adversity. Empowerment, as a further 

process, allows the refugee to “take action” to change parts of the receiving context that hinders their 

well‐being and that of their community (Brodsky & Cattaneo, 2013). Thus, resilience can be said to be 

something internal which enables the individuals‟ ability to function in a given context, whereas 

empowerment involves transformative changes in the receiving society. Resilience and empowerment 

feed into each other and produce a positive trend that helps to counteract some of the vulnerable 

conditions experienced by refugees (Paloma et al., 2020).  

Education, and increasingly higher education, lies at the heart of the resilience and empowerment 

discourse popular in forced displacement academia, policies and practice. Education is often touted as 

providing a sense of purpose amidst the uprootedness of refugee status and the constraints of life in 

refugee camps (Kirk, 2010; Zeus, 2011). Furthermore, it is championed for playing a critical role in 

facilitating transitions for refugees by providing them with the skills that they need to increase their 

social capital and ability to successfully adapt to different contexts (Taylor & Sidhu, 2012; Wright & 

Plasterer, 2010).  

The connection between the health and well-being of young people and higher education is well 

documented. A consensus exists in the literature which highlights the key role resilience plays in 

assisting students to overcome challenges, manage their wellbeing and complete their studies (Beltman, 

Mansfield, & Price, 2011; Howe, Smajdor, & Stockl, 2012; McAllister & McKinnon, 2009; Reyes et 

al., 2015). Furthermore, there is recognition that building resilience capabilities through curriculum 

increases the likelihood of positive academic and employment outcomes (Turner, Scott-Young & 

Holdsworth, 2017). The inference here being that resilience gained through participation in higher 

education can lead to increased empowerment through these outcomes. However, what appears to be 

missing in the discourse is consensus and clarity on how resilience itself is conceptualised (Brewer et 

al., 2019). 

The lack of consensus and clarity surrounding the concept of resilience in academia is often referenced 

by the sceptics of the concepts of resilience and empowerment in the forced displacement discourse. 

Critics point to them as mere buzzwords (Anderson, 2015) that have reached cliché levels and are often 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 4, No. 1, 2021 

66 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

used to erode governments‟ and other institutions‟ responsibilities to refugees (Mason Nunn, 2018). 

Critics of policies and practices used to promote resilience and empowerment point to the seemingly 

contradictory notions of refugees as agents of their own change, while at the same time being 

vulnerable and in need of „humanitarian‟ oversight by institutions such as UNHCR (e.g., Krause & 

Schmidt, 2019). Putting these charges aside, it is perhaps unsurprising that as aid budgets tighten and 

displacement crises proliferate around the world, the promotion of resilience and empowerment have 

risen in prominence as humanitarian institutions struggle to cope (Anholt & Sinatti, 2019).  

A similar and connected debate surrounds the role of higher education in refugee contexts. Until quite 

recently there has been little to no debate about it in the forced displacement discourse. With just 3% of 

refugee youth finding pathways to higher education (compared to 34% of non-refugee youth) (UNHCR 

2019) it is reasonable to assume that further discussion on the role of higher education in this context is 

needed. Increasingly, international efforts, such as the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, have 

been taking this on board and recognising higher education‟s development potential (UNESCO, 2019). 

Reflective of this, is the growing body of academic inquiry into the role and impact of higher education 

in refugee contexts. This area of study, while relatively new, has gone, and is perhaps still going, 

through a teething phase with various name changes coming into vogue (higher education in 

emergencies, higher education in crises and fragile contexts, higher education in refugee contexts and 

so on) as the field of study evolves.  

The evolution of higher education in refugee contexts is further impacted by the landscape of actors 

involved, the pedagogies employed and course offerings made. The teaching and learning space 

accessible to most refugees is dominated by western institutions (O‟Keeffe & Akkari, 2020). Whether 

this is through the proliferation of western online education delivery for refugees (Halkic & Arnold, 

2018), the western institutions most active in the digital displacement space (Mandianou, 2019) or the 

internationalisation of higher education through dominating western perspectives (Majee & Ress, 2020), 

whose needs higher education in refugee contexts serves is not always clear.  

Like the concepts of resilience and empowerment in the forced displacement discourse, there are many 

questions that surround the role of higher education in the same space. As mentioned, the connection 

between resilience, participation in higher education and empowerment is well documented, but what is 

less clear is how this is conceptualised. In addition, the specificities of higher education in refugee 

contexts (e.g., lack of education options and resources) and the realities of possible outcomes (e.g., 

reduced employment prospects) for refugee learners (Reinhardt et al., 2018) may add further 

uncertainty when trying to conceptualise these concepts in a refugee context. Improving our 

understanding of these issues will depend on a robust and dynamic field of studies evolving further. 

Central to contributing to this evolution is further research into gaining an understanding of what 

higher education means for those who take part in it and what impact it has on their lives (Ramsey & 

Baker, 2019). The following case study aims to do this by discussing in detail one refugee‟s trajectory 

from studying a basic medical training course in Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya, to the application of 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 4, No. 1, 2021 

67 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

what he learned during his studies during an internship as a healthcare worker in the camp. Through 

this discursive case study, we explore whether or not higher education has played a meaningful role in 

creating a sense of real life resilience and empowerment for him and, if so, how this has contributed to 

the betterment of his community. 

 

2. Method 

Drawing on the perspective of Brodsky and Cattaneo (2013) that resilience involves developing 

internal coping skills to adapt to and withstand adverse conditions, and empowerment allows successful 

action to be taken to transform the society around, we use a case study to present the personal 

reflections of a graduate from a basic medical training course in Kakuma refugee camp on his studies 

and the impact it has had on his life, his career and his contribution to the well-being of his community. 

The basic medical training course was delivered via blended learning with students taking classes 

online and in person during a visit to the camp in 2019 by the course tutors. It took place from 

September 2018 to February 2020 and consisted of 3 models. Module 1 focused on a general 

introduction to medical sciences, module 2 focused on pathology and module 3 focused on developing 

clinical skills. The discussion in this case study took place during summer 2020, after the course had 

been completed and the participant had undertaken an internship with a health care organisation in 

Kakuma refugee camp. Due to Covid-19 travel and interaction restrictions, the discussants were unable 

to meet up in person (one is based in Geneva and the other based in Kakuma refugee camp. Therefore, 

the decision was taken for the conversation to take place over the instant messaging technology 

WhatsApp. Questions were posed by the first author in writing on the instant messaging application. 

These questions inquired about the refugee student‟s studies and the impact it had on his work (the 

questions are presented in the following case study). The refugee responded to the questions by 

recording sound files and sending them to the researcher via WhatsApp. These files were transcribed 

and formed the basis for the following conversation case study.  

 

3. Case Study 

InZone, a higher education and humanitarian programme at the University of Geneva, has been running 

an accredited basic medical training course in Kakuma refugee camp since September 2018. The 

course consists of 3 blended learning modules, delivered over 18 months for refugees living in the 

camp. Each module is 12 weeks in length and covers various relevant health care topics which are 

delivered through the University of Geneva‟s learning platform, real time online tutoring given by 

master degree medical students based in Geneva and face-to-face classes delivered at the end of the 

course by tutors who visit the students in the camp.  

The first cohort of students graduated from the course in 2020, with 8 students completing the course 

out of an initial 16. On completion of their studies, the students had planned to undertake internships at 

health clinics in Kakuma, where they hoped to put what they learned in class into practice and learn 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 4, No. 1, 2021 

68 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

new skills as health care workers in the camp. The Covid-19 pandemic and its affect on daily life in the 

camp resulted in restrictions being put into place to prevent the spread of the virus. As a result the 

planned internships were postponed until the camps‟ residents‟ safety could be assured.  

While the organisation of the internships was postponed during the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the 8 

graduated students, Author 2 (A2), (a qualified nurse from Burundi), was hired by the African Inland 

Church Health Ministries (AICHM) to help with their Covid-19 response in the camp. AICHM is a 

healthcare charity that provides preventative and curative services at health care clinics for refugees in 

Kakuma refugee camp. In the following conversation with Author 1 (A1), A2 discusses his experience 

of studying the basic medical training course and his trajectory in becoming a healthcare intern in the 

camp. He also shares his thoughts on the role of education in improving the wellbeing of refugees.  

A1: Before you started studying InZone‟s Basic Medical Training course you were already a trained 

nurse in your home country of Burundi. Why did you decide to go back to study with InZone? 

A2: I joined the course for the main reason of sharpening my knowledge and to be able to help my 

community efficiently. It was a good opportunity for me to strengthen my medical knowledge in the 

English language, as I learned in French in my country. Finally, it was a good opportunity for me to 

learn more medical techniques and terminology from my tutors in Geneva than I had learned in my 

home country.  

A1: The course itself was 18 months in length and covered a wide variety of topics. Can you tell me a 

little bit about the topics that you studied in the course? 

A2: Up to now I have covered 3 main modules. The first module was about basic medical sciences. In 

this module I learned about the human body, its anatomy and physiology. In the second module I 

learned about human pathology. I learned the key concepts about relevant health conditions-especially 

those found here in Kakuma refugee camp. In module 3 I learned about clinical reasoning through 

problem-based learning. In this module I learned skills such as how to take the medical history of a 

patient, to take the patients‟ physical exam and to identify red flags (major problems that require an 

immediate intervention). Then I learned about asking for complimentary exams. Finally, I learned 

about making a diagnosis and providing good treatment to patients.   

A1: Higher education in refugee camps is a particular pursuit which requires a very different approach 

than mainstream education usually takes. Can you explain how the course content was delivered and 

how learning took place. 

A2: At the start of the course we were given access to a course platform where I opened an account 

which allowed me to access materials, do quizzes and exams or leave a comment for my colleagues to 

see. I was also provided with a tablet from the University of Geneva with preloaded learning materials, 

where I found reading materials, and videos to watch. At the end of every week all students in the class 

would have a face-to-face group discussion to help strengthen each other and share knowledge and 

experiences about the topics covered. A WhatsApp group was opened to allow us to interact with tutors 

in Geneva during weekly tutorial sessions. At the end of each chapter of study, an online quiz was 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 4, No. 1, 2021 

69 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

given to evaluate our knowledge and understanding. Also, at the end of each module our teachers from 

Geneva came here to Kakuma refugee camp where we reviewed our learning together and finally did 

an exam.   

A1: On a personal level, what have you learned from your time studying with InZone? 

A2: Studying with InZone has allowed me to learn a lot of things. First, even if I fled my country and 

was unable to continue my studies, there are some opportunities to continue with higher education in 

host countries, regardless of your refugee status, disability, tribe, race or financial means. Secondly, 

InZone opened the door for me to the new word of digital learning. It is really useful as it saved my 

time, my money, my energy, and allowed me to learn a lot in a short time. It also allowed me to interact 

with my peers worldwide and my teachers from the University of Geneva. Thirdly, it was a great 

opportunity for me to experience how I can learn from others and how they can learn from me, through 

the organisation of weekly discussions and meetings. As a student representative, I learned and shared 

my experience with InZone on how to organise students to study, how to respond to the complaints of 

students, how to organise and hold elections for class monitors, set rules to guide students‟ behaviour in 

our learning facility, how to receive visitors to our programme and explain them our activities. I also 

learned how to interact with the InZone management team about the welfare of students and the good 

running of courses, preparing time tables and payments for transport fees to and from the learning 

facility. In short, with InZone I learned a new world of education and I had many new experiences and 

developed skills to help my community.  

A1: Please describe your work as a health worker intern with AICHM? 

A2: After I finished studying with InZone I started an internship with AICHM, a local Kenyan NGO 

operating here in Kakuma which provides healthcare services. The internship is for 3 months, with 

possible extension. It is divided into 2 main sections—clinical services at the clinic and a quarantine 

service at the quarantine service in Kakuma. In the clinical services, the main activities that I practice 

are providing health services to clients based on disease prevention. I conduct clinical assessments by 

taking body height and weight, vital signs etc. I also carry out patient consultation such as patient 

history taking, making physical exams, identifying “red flags” and providing immediate responses, 

asking for complimentary exams, making diagnostics and providing treatment where possible. In the 

quarantine centre, which is a centre organised by UNHCR and AICHM, where all Covid-19 suspected 

cases are admitted to be monitored and samples taken for testing, the main activities that I do are 

participating and facilitating in the admission of new cases. I take the temperatures every morning of 

all clients. I assist the doctors when taking lab samples for Covid-19 tests. I arrange protective items 

and kits, report suspicious cases with symptoms, receive and treat any other health conditions, e.g., 

diarrhea, malaria etc., and monitor how they improve. I assist in the issuance of Covid-19 results. For 

those who test positively I assist in their transport to the hospital for isolation. I facilitate in the 

discharge of those who test negatively. Finally, I fill in all documents and do the registering as 

required.   



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 4, No. 1, 2021 

70 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

A1: Have you learned new things during your internship related to your studies? 

A2: During the internship I have learned a lot of things. It is a good opportunity to practice what I 

learned during the course. It is a good opportunity to see in real life all the things that I learned in the 

anatomy and physiology module and to better understand the symptoms and signs that I learned in the 

pathology module. Also, it gives me the opportunity to examine, interview and provide treatment to 

patients, like I learned about in the course on taking the history of patients. It was a good opportunity 

for me to use the knowledge and skills that I learned from InZone to save the lives of refugees like me.  

A1: How has the internship experience impacted on you personally? 

A2: It opened my mind that it is useful for all medical students to do an internship to enhance their 

knowledge as they prepare to serve their communities. It also allowed me to interact with other people, 

such as nurses, doctors, cleaners, which enhanced my work experience. It helped me to put what I 

learned into practice. Finally, it encouraged good relations with the refugees in the camp, as they felt 

that they were being helped by one of their own.  

A1: In your opinion, how can higher education in Kakuma be improved. 

A2: I will answer this by making some proposals. Firstly, the course content to be learned should be 

focused on the situation and diseases that are found in Kakuma. Secondly, let some medical materials 

be provided to facilitators in Kakuma to better understand what they are learning, e.g., provide medical 

books and medical instruments to practice with. Studying online is never enough. Thirdly, students 

should be well-guided during an internship for a better understanding of what they are learning—for 

example appointing someone like a doctor in the hospital to guide them would help them to learn and 

also strengthen partnerships between the education providers and the hospitals. This in turn could help 

to strengthen the connection between internships and jobs—if refugees see that such opportunities lead 

somewhere, they will want to take part.  

A1: What is the future of higher education in Kakuma and how can it help refugees? 

A2: Higher education access in Kakuma is one of the windows that can help refugees to have a good 

future and find a solution for their problems. For the future I have 5 recommendations that I would like 

to make to help ensure the success of higher education programmes here.  

1) The courses that are offered should meet the refugees‟ needs and reflect the refugee camp‟s context 

and situation. The courses should not be limited to certificates and diplomas but also be offered at the 

degree level. Some of the refugees here already have certificates and diplomas from their home 

countries in the same fields, so courses at the degree level would be helpful, especially to help them in 

the job market. Courses should also be offered in both French and English as these are the main 

languages used by the refugees here.  

2) We should remove any restrictions such as age, especially our outreach procedures when new 

students are recruited, as it blocks a lot of people who might benefit from studying. Connected to the 

removal of restrictions is the need for the government of Kenya to review its higher education policy. 

Very often it restricts refugee access to higher education opportunities. UNHCR should raise its voice 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 4, No. 1, 2021 

71 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

to encourage a change in policy. This could help a lot more people access higher education.  

3) Higher education institutions active in this field should increase their budgets and support for 

refugees. It would really help if refugee students had better resources to help them study. When 

students finish a course, they should get help to do things like starting a business or finding jobs. 

Taking part in InZone‟s course not only helped me to better understand many health issues that we face 

here, but the support I got helped me to get my current job. This allows me to work directly with my 

community and to help them to be healthier. I think that education can in the long run help us all to be 

more self-sufficient, to improve our lives as refugees here and empower ourselves. We can make our 

environment better for ourselves. I think we need more opportunities for us to work and support for our 

lives here. 

4) Create an information sharing platform between refugees, higher education institutions, UNHCR and 

other partners active in the field to share ideas about developing higher education in Kakuma.  

5) Finally, I think it is fundamental that we are more academic in our approach and conduct proper 

evaluations of the programmes on offer here and their impact. With this we can see what works and 

where we need to improve our efforts and thus ensure higher education is meeting the needs of the 

community. 

 

4. Discussion and Conclusion 

In the introduction we discussed the connections between higher education, resilience and 

empowerment and elaborated on the uncertainty and lack of clarity surrounding their conceptualisation. 

While quantifying these concepts as something tangible or measurable is difficult and therefore 

debatable at an academic level, the above conversation on a personal experience of participating in 

higher education in refugee contexts confirms that it can be a positive force for internal and external 

change. From the conversation with the refugee student, the benefits of taking part in InZone‟s Basic 

Medical Training course are apparent—sharpening existing knowledge, learning new knowledge and 

skills, getting a job, learning new approaches and getting an opportunity to help the wider refugee 

community during the Covid-19 pandemic. By participating in and completing the Basic Medical 

Training course successfully and then going on to work as a healthcare intern in the camp, the student 

improved his own coping skills to help him succeed in this environment and has been able to make a 

positive impact on the environment around him by becoming an active healthcare worker. In 

summation, it can be argued that by participating in higher education he has become more “resilient” 

with new and improved knowledge and skills and has become empowered to improve the environment 

around him. 

Academic discussions about the meaning of resilience and empowerment enunciated in this article are 

relevant to the wider debate about the role of higher education in refugee contexts. Criticisms of the use 

of these concepts as buzzwords may also be relevant in the forced displacement discourse. However, 

for the individual, as illustrated in this case study, the benefits that higher education can bring are clear. 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 4, No. 1, 2021 

72 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

In the context of a refugee camp like Kakuma, where there is a real and present need for expertise to 

improve lives. Endowing refugees with skills and knowledge to help themselves can lead to real 

resilience and empowerment. Higher education that is localised, contextualised and puts the needs of 

the refugees first has the power to do this.  

Furthermore, by pursuing academic co-creation of discourse on the role of higher education in refugee 

contexts, as we do in this article, a refugee‟s voice is enabled. Through his assessment of his own 

experience and the provision of recommendations for the future of higher education in Kakuma, the 

refugee student is contributing to the shaping of the future of higher education in refugee contexts. In 

this evolving field, incorporating and including the voices of more refugees will add legitimacy to 

academic discussions, help provide clearer representations of reality of refugee lives and pave the way 

for a more successful future. All too often academia faces accusations of being elitist and abstract and, 

therefore, it is our final recommendation that, as the study of higher education in refugee contexts 

grows, the inclusion of more refugee voices will help it to be grounded in the reality of the lives it 

discusses. This, in our view, is how higher education can best foster true resilience and empowerment 

in refugee contexts.  

 

References 

Anderson, B. (2015). What Kind of Thing Is Resilience? Politics, 35(1), 60-66. 

https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9256.12079 

Anholt, R., & Sinatti. (2019). Under the guise of resilience: The EU approach to migration and forced 

displacement in Jordan and Lebanon. Contemporary Security Policy, 41(2), 311-335. 

https://doi.org/10.1080/13523260.2019.1698182 

Arar, R. (2017). The new grand compromise: How Syrian refugees changed the stakes in the global 

refugee assistance regime. Middle East Law and Governance, 9, 298-312. 

https://doi.org/10.1163/18763375-00903007 

Beltman, S., Mansfield, C., & Price, A. (2011). Thriving not just surviving: A review of research on 

teacher resilience. Education Research Review, 6(3), 185-207. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2011.09.001 

Brewer, M. et al. (2019). Resilience in higher education students: A scoping review. Higher Education 

Research & Development, 38(6), 1105-1120. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1626810 

Brodsky, A. E., & Cattaneo, L. B. (2013). A transconceptual model of empowerment and resilience: 

Divergence, convergence and interactions in kindred community concepts. American Journal of 

Community Psychology, 52, 333-346. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-013-9599-x 

Cornwall, A. (2010). Introductory overview-buzzwords and fuzzwords: Deconstructing development 

discourse. In A. Cornwall, & D. Eade (Eds.), Deconstructing development discourse: Buzzwords 

and fuzzwords (pp. 1-18). Warwickshire: Practical Action & Oxfam. 

https://doi.org/10.3362/9781780440095.001 

https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9256.12079
https://doi.org/10.1080/13523260.2019.1698182
https://doi.org/10.1163/18763375-00903007
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2011.09.001
https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1626810
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-013-9599-x
https://doi.org/10.3362/9781780440095.001


www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 4, No. 1, 2021 

73 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

Halkic, B., & Arnold, P. (2019). Refugees and online education: Student perspectives on need and 

support in the context of (online) higher education. Learning, Media and Technology, 44(3), 

345-364. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2019.1640739 

Howe, A., Smajdor, A., & Stockl, A. (2012). Towards an understanding of resilience and its relevance 

to medical training. Medical Education, 46(4), 349-356. 

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2011.04188.x 

Kelberer, V. (2017). Negotiating crisis: International aid and refugee policy in Jordan. Middle East 

Policy, 24(4), 148-165. https://doi.org/10.1111/mepo.12313 

Kirk, J. (2010). Gender, forced migration and education: Identities and experiences of refugee women 

teachers. Gender Educ., 22(2), 161-176. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540251003606925 

Krause, U., & Schmidt, H. (2019). Refugees as Actors? Critical Reflections on Global Refugee Policies 

on Self-reliance and Resilience. Journal of Refugee Studies, 33(1), 22-41. 

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fez059 

Madianou, M. (2019). Technocolonialism: Digital Innovation and Data Practices in the Humanitarian 

Response to Refugee Crises. Social Media + Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119863146 

Majee, U., & Ress, S. B. (2020). Colonial legacies in internationalisation of higher education: Racial 

justice and geopolitical redress in South Africa and Brazil. Compare: A Journal of Comparative 

and International Education, 50(4), 463-481. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2018.1521264 

McAllister, M., & McKinnon, J. (2009). The importance of teaching and learning resilience in the 

health disciplines: A critical review of the literature. Nurse Education Today, 29(4), 371-379. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2008.10.011 

O‟Keeffe, P., & Akkari, A. (2020). University Education for Refugees Must Meet Refugees’ Needs. The 

Conversation, May 2020. Retrieved from 

https://theconversation.com/university-education-in-refugee-camps-must-meet-refugee-needs-137

796 

Paloma, V., de la Morena, I., Sladkova, J., & López‐Torres, C. (2020). A peer support and peer 

mentoring approach to enhancing resilience and empowerment among refugees settled in southern 

Spain. J Community Psychol., 48, 1438-1451. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22338 

Ramsay, G., & Baker, S. (2019). Higher Education and Students from Refugee Backgrounds: A 

Meta-Scoping Study. Refugee Survey Quarterly, 38(1), 55-82. https://doi.org/10.1093/rsq/hdy018 

Reinhardt, F. et al. (2018). Integrating Refugees into Higher Education—The Impact of a New Online 

Education Program for Policies and Practices. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 2(2), 198-226. 

https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2018.1483738 

Reyes, et al. (2015). Resilience in nursing education: An integrative review. Journal of Nursing 

Education, 54(8), 438-444. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20150717-03 

 

 

https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2019.1640739
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2011.04188.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/mepo.12313
https://doi.org/10.1080/09540251003606925
https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fez059
https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119863146
https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2018.1521264
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2008.10.011
https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22338
https://doi.org/10.1093/rsq/hdy018
https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2018.1483738
https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20150717-03


www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe            Global Research in Higher Education                  Vol. 4, No. 1, 2021 

74 
Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

Sleijpen, M., Mooren, T., Kleber, R. J., & Boeije, H. R. (2017). Lives on hold: A qualitative study of 

young refugees‟ resilience strategies. Childhood, 24(3), 348-365. 

https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568217690031 

Taylor, S., & Sidhu, R. K. (2012). Supporting refugee students in schools: What constitutes inclusive 

education? Int. J. Incl. Educ., 16(1), 39-56. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110903560085 

Tsourapas, G. (2019). The Syrian refugee crisis and foreign policy decision-making in Jordan. Lebanon, 

and Turkey. Journal of Global Security Studies, 4, 464-481. https://doi.org/10.1093/jogss/ogz016 

Turner, M., Scott-Young, C., & Holdsworth, S. (2017). Promoting wellbeing at university: The role of 

resilience for students of the built environment. Construction Management and Economics, 

35(11-12), 707-718. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2017.1353698 

UNHCR. (2019). Refugee Student Voices: DAFI Annual Report 2018. Retrieved from 

https://www.unhcr.org/5d7f61097 

 Wright, L., & Plasterer, W. (2010). Beyond basic education: Exploring opportunities for higher 

learning in Kenyan refugee camps. Refuge, 27(2), 42-57. 

https://doi.org/10.25071/1920-7336.34721 

Zeus, B. (2011). Zeus Exploring barriers to higher education in protracted refugee situations: The case 

of Burmese refugees in Thailand. Journal of Refugee Studies, 24(2), 256-276. 

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fer011 

 

 

 

https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568217690031
https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110903560085
https://doi.org/10.1093/jogss/ogz016
https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2017.1353698
https://doi.org/10.25071/1920-7336.34721
https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fer011

