Factsheet
University of Sanctuary
Updated on 7 December 2023
We are a University of Sanctuary, part of the network of institutions across the United Kingdom working to develop support for those displaced by humanitarian crises.
We are committed to engaging and supporting sanctuary seekers in many different ways and work to increase understanding of issues surrounding asylum seekers and refugees. We provide a welcoming environment for our sanctuary students, as well as seek to work with individuals and communities beyond the campus to promote and support the principles of sanctuary.
Our status as a University of Sanctuary comes after a rigorous assessment of our work and recognises that we:
- provide a generous and evolving scholarship programme
- give agile and responsive student support
- arrange welcome and touch point meetings throughout the year
- provide impressive teaching across the University on forced migration
- welcome student volunteering and campaigning
- have a well-established working group with wide membership including students and scholarship holders
- offer contextual admissions and legal support
- provide pre-sessional English language courses
- progress with initiatives such as involvement with the Council for At-Risk Academics, Scottish Human Rights Defender Fellowship and Nablus twinning
- support this activity from all levels of the organisation
The University has a long track record of teaching and research in Human Rights, teaching students how to become human rights advocates, and providing sanctuary and scholarship opportunities for human rights defenders. We maintain an ongoing partnership with the British Council’s Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL) programme and with the Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara).