INTEGRA aims at responding to the limited participation of young refugees from conflict affected countries to the higher education system of India & Pakistan by introducing an innovative methodology that will allow them to overcome the obstacles they currently face. This will be accomplished by combining a short-term ICT course for youth with migrant background, based on the expectations of the ICT labour market in these countries, along with the establishment of 4 psychosocial support structures (1 per HEI), which will provide personalised psychosocial support. By bringing young refugees closer to the higher education system in India and Pakistan, the ambition of the project is to facilitate their full integration in these countries by attending higher education courses and/or by entering the labour market and especially the ICT sector, which is one of the main economic activities in this Region.Main outputs of INTEGRA include: a) a 1-year accredited ICT course including different programmes & modules, based on the state-of-art analysis; b) the establishment of 4 psychosocial support structures providing personalized support to young refugees. The project involves also a comprehensive capacity building programme for tutors and professionals for the structures, along with a pilot delivery of the services developed. INTEGRA’s main expected results are:- HEIs in Partner Countries are enhanced in terms of capacities, new services and tools, in order to respond to the needs of refugee youth in their pursue of utilizing higher education and HEIs for social & economic integration- Young refugees from conflict affected countries are brought closer to higher education and HEIs in India and Pakistan, while also have their ICT skills built and psychosocial traumas treatedThe envisaged impact of INTEGRA is to foster the integration of young refugees in India & Pakistan by empowering HEIs in those countries in attracting this target group and serving effectively its needs.
The project aims to overcome barriers in formal education for young refugees. It enhances HEIs' capacity to support refugee youth through ICT skills and psychosocial counseling. Specific objectives include informing HEIs about refugee needs, equipping youth with ICT skills for local job markets, expanding HEI services, and introducing a holistic methodology in line with European standards. Further sustainability has aimed at curricula accreditation and an open-to-everyone e-learning platform.
The project aims to empower young refugees in India and Pakistan by bridging the gap between higher education and the labor market. It offers ICT curricula aligned with market needs and personalized psychosocial support. Transnational and national training programs created a set of tutors and professionals in the HEIs, and the pilot operation of the ICT labs and Psychosocial support services created the project impact. The e-learning platform and live sessions allowed to support students.
<< Background >> The project aims to empower young refugees in India and Pakistan by bridging the gap between higher education and the labor market. It offers ICT curricula aligned with market needs and personalized psychosocial support. Transnational and national training programs created a set of tutors and professionals in the HEIs, and the pilot operation of the ICT labs and Psychosocial support services created the project impact. The e-learning platform and live sessions allowed to support students. << Objectives >> The project aims to overcome barriers in formal education for young refugees. It enhances HEIs' capacity to support refugee youth through ICT skills and psychosocial counseling. Specific objectives include informing HEIs about refugee needs, equipping youth with ICT skills for local job markets, expanding HEI services, and introducing a holistic methodology in line with European standards. Further sustainability has aimed at curricula accreditation and an open-to-everyone e-learning platform. << Implementation >> Despite the many problems encountered in travels and f2f meetings due to COVID, and the money transfer restrictions to India, which led to the withdrawal of SAL, the consortium managed to replace the partner with MU, successfully complete the desk and field study, the trainings, and the procurement of the equipment in all HEIs. The necessary structures have been established in the 4 HEIs, the four pilots have been implemented and the e-learning platform has been setup and used. << Results >> We developed 4 new study programs (curricula), 15 courses in total, tailored to the local ICT needs, each program awarding 30 ECTS credits. RK and MU in India accredited the curricula and included them in their student services. IIU and LUMS in Pakistan initiated the accreditation processes. We established 4 computer labs and psychosocial support centers and an e-learning platform with content in 3 languages, that has 442 users and more than 232K user actions.