Access to Higher Education for the Rohingya Refugees

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.