Three university student teams will present
solutions for increasing refugee access to higher education and
livelihood at the CIEE Global Internship Conference in London
SOUTH
PORTLAND, Maine, May 16, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The Council on International Educational Exchange
(CIEE) announced last week the three university student teams who
will advance to the final round of the 2024 CIEE UNHCR Student
Challenge that will be held at the 12th Annual CIEE Global
Internship Conference in London,
England on June 19-21,
2024.
Finalists will present their ideas for
helping refugees at the CIEE Global Internship Conference in
London.
The second annual competition, cosponsored by CIEE and UNHCR,
the UN Refugee Agency, invited global teams of university students
to develop ideas for increasing access to higher education and
livelihood for forcibly displaced youth around the world. Challenge
partners District C and Microsoft provided additional support.
In the first round of the challenge, 130 teams of undergraduates
submitted their solution ideas as 500-word proposals. Then 36 teams
representing 47 universities, and 21 countries were selected to
further develop and present their ideas virtually to judges from
across the globe representing organizations advocating for
refugees, including the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Kepler, the
President's Alliance for Immigration and Higher Education, Talent
Beyond Boundaries, and Jesuit Worldwide Learning.
The judges selected three teams to advance to the 2024 CIEE
UNHCR Student Challenge finals based on the significant potential
of their solution idea to address this critical challenge facing
refugees. The teams awarded a trip to London to compete in-person for the grand
prize are:
- Eagles – Amina Mkova (Team Captain); Obed Korusenge
Nsanzimfura; Joselyto Charite Baho, all from Kepler College,
Rwanda; and Nimco Ibrahim, African Leadership
University, Rwanda
- Three Paths – Mia
Williams (Team Captain) University
of Pennsylvania; Zamzam
Fadhil, San Diego Mesa
College; Ahmednoor Hassan, Bates
College; and Kay Ellen
Bell, Bard College
- Wellesley in the World –
Merelin Baldonado (Team Captain);
Ilinca Drondoe; and Suzanna Schofield, all from Wellesley College
While in London, the finalists
will continue to workshop their proposal then present their idea
during the closing plenary at the CIEE Global Internship
Conference. Each member of the winning team will earn a summer 2025
global internship facilitated by CIEE, and an opportunity for their
idea to be shared with UNHCR and their networks. Winners will be
announced on June 21.
"The student proposals for solutions to help refugees were
impressive," said James P. Pellow,
President and CEO of CIEE. "As Challenge participants developed
their ideas, they better understood the challenges refugees face
and gained valuable skills, like those developed during a global
internship—teamwork, collaboration, research skills, critical
thinking, problem solving, design thinking, and more."
"UNHCR commends the commitment of the student teams who, through
their creativity and advocacy, are significantly contributing to
building knowledge, diversifying campuses and developing innovative
solutions that enhance refugee access to higher education and
promote self-reliance. We thank and congratulate all those who
participated in this important initiative," said Manal Stulgaitis, Officer for Higher Education,
United Nations Refugee Agency.
About UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization
dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights, and building a better
future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless
people. Worldwide, over 100 million people have been forced to
flee their homes due to conflict, violence, and persecution. UNHCR,
the UN Refugee Agency, believes that young people have a central
role to play in finding ways to help them thrive, not just
survive.
About CIEE
CIEE builds bridges between different
people, different countries, and different cultures. For 75 years,
we have helped young people participate in high-quality
international exchange and study abroad programs that bring the
world together. We change lives, our alumni change the world. Learn
more at ciee.org.
Media contact: Leslie Taylor,
ltaylor@ciee.org, (207)553-4274
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SOURCE Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)