Provide higher education access to refugees

GOMBAK - In conjunction of holy month Ramadan, the Alumni Relations Division of the international Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in collaboration with International Unity IIUM and The Good Society IIUM conducted a 'Hope for The Future' event by inviting refugees from Rohingya Education Centre (REC) Gombak.

Through this programme, the director of sejahtera center for sustainability and humanity Professor Dr Zainal Abidin Sanusi hopes to provide access to higher education for refugees in Malaysia.

"I am seeing the possibilities of a slight policy change that will allow access to education, especially higher education.

"In order to get into higher education, the only option these students have is private universities, which are certainly expensive.

"So we are pushing for two things: either they could go to private colleges or universities like UIA, or we could get funding that allows them to go to universities," he reasoned.

When asked about the objective of the programme, Zainal said that it was mainly to motivate the refugees to have external interaction besides their studies.

"Instead of going to their place as we used to, this time we brought them here, and this will allow for great exposure. This type of interaction will motivate them in terms of education," he added.

The event saw 50 refugees, ages eight and seventeen, participating in various activities held throughout the programme, namely 'Draw Your Dreams', Charades, sharing their desires, and reciting Zikir.

From dreaming to become a police officer or army officer to bringing their parents to the holy land of Mecca, the refugees shared their desires and aspirations.

The objective of these programmes is to promote inclusivity and a communal sense of responsibility by welcoming and assisting the refugee community.

It is also to equip the participants with actionable tools to stimulate their thoughts and ideas via fun, effective, and fruitful modules and activities.

It is also to instill a sense of volunteerism and togetherness in all of the participants and committee members in the spirit of Ramadan by instilling communal spirit and a sense of selflessness among IIUM students and participants.