BRiDGE II Bridge for Researchers in Danger Going to Europe

- Step II

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation

programme under grant 824601

What is BRiDGE II

Bridge for Researchers Going to Europe –

Step II (BRiDGE II) is a EURAXESS

project to support the career and identify the

individual career planning and development

needs of 300 highly skilled refugee

researchers (RR) in the 24 project months to

a long-term integration in the labour market

of the European Union member states and

its associated countries. It focusses

especially on early and late stage post doc

researchers and professors of all ages, who

are affiliated with a research institution in

the European Research Area or a Research

and Development department of a company

and especially those displaced for the last

two years in the seven European countries

and meets their needs, by providing 300

career case plans.

Inside This Issue

PG. 2

• BRiDGE II participants

• Stakeholders Networking Meeting

for BRiDGE II Internship

Programme

PG. 3

• Forthcoming BRiDGE II trainings

PG. 4

• Recent BRiDGE II trainings

PG. 5

• New European parliament and migrant

integration

• Moving forward with BRiDGE II

PG. 7

• Shahira’s story

PG. 8

• Removing barriers for displaced

academics

Periodic

Newsletter Volume 2 | Issue 3 | BRiDGE II Newsletter for EURAXESS Network

2 Volume 2 Issue 3 BRiDGE II Newsletter for EURAXESS Network

ANNOUNCEMENT

BRiDGE II participants

Participant organisation name Country

Bielefeld

University Germany

University of

Gothenburg

Sweden

ETH Zurich Switzerland

Austrian Agency

for International

Cooperation in

Education and

Research

Austria

Faculty of

Mechanical

Engineering,

University of Niš

Serbia

Sofia University

Bulgaria

Centre for

Research &

Technology,

Hellas Greece

University of the

Aegean

Greece

Right now, over 70.8 million individuals

have been forcibly displaced

84% of refugees are hosted by

developing countries, and less than 1 in

every 5 refugees is hosted in Europe

55% of refugees come from just three

countries: Syria, South Sudan and

Afghanistan

37 % of EU first instance asylum

decisions resulted in positive outcomes

in 2018.

Stakeholders Networking Meeting for BRiDGE II Internship Programme

11 March 2020 - Gothenburg, Sweden

The BRiDGE II Internship Programme gives Researchers in Danger the opportunity to receive a grant for the duration of an internship position in the non-academic sector. It was launched in July 2019 and since then has caught the interest of many highly skilled refugee researchers.

Midway through the BRiDGE II project and to ensure continuous quality of the programme we would like to gather Researchers in Danger, industrial mentors and all other relevant stakeholders to evaluate the first round of internships. Therefore, we kindly invite:

• BRiDGE II Internship grant recipients

• Researchers in Danger who are strongly

interested in career paths outside academia

• Industrial mentors

• Members of the Selection Committee for the

BRiDGE II Internship Programme

The meeting will focus on:

• Success and challenges of the programme

• Its impact on the career development of

Researchers in Danger

• Perspectives from host organisations

• Recommendations to improving the programme

All expenses are covered by the project. If you wish to participate or have questions, please e-mail Bridge2Internship@gu.se.

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In the next few months, two trainings and one webinar for refugee researchers will be held within the BRiDGE II project.

BRiDGE II webinar for refugee researchers on

“Open Science” 24 Jan 2020, 1 PM CET

Open Science is "the movement to make scientific research, data and dissemination accessible to all levels of an inquiring society." (FOSTER Taxonomy). It is often referred to as “research simply done properly”. The European Commission has decided that all future projects funded by EU funds should be implemented on an open science basis. This webinar presents the most important principles of open science and provides information to researchers where they can find additional information.

Join us for a 1.5 hour interactive webinar, focused on the following topics:

• What is Open Science? • What are principles of Open Science? • How to organize project to confirm Open Science

principles • Is there anything in BRiDGE projects that is

helpful in this regard?

Please, register by sending a copy of your CV, latest diploma, legal status document in the host country and signed and scanned copy of the attached

consent sending them by email, svetlana@fmi.uni-sofia.bg by 23 Jan 2020!

For more information about the project please visit: https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/International/projects/bridge2/bridge2.html

BRiDGE II webinar for refugee researchers on

“How to prepare a proposal for HORIZON 2020 FUNDING with emphasis in Marie Curie Individual Fellowships?”

31 Jan 2020, 3 PM CET

How to get funding for your research? It is a crucial point in your career. In the European programs context, your project proposal must be excellent in order to get funded. There are specifics in the proposal preparation that you should know when you plan preparation. This webinar presents the most important details in this process and provides information to researchers where they can find additional information.

• It is a 1 hour interactive webinar, focused on the following topics:

• What are your opportunities in H2020/Horizon Europe?

BRiDGE II TRAININGS

FORTHCOMING TRAININGS

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• Which are the most suitable for you MSCA grants?

• How to apply? • Is there anything in BRiDGE projects that is

helpful in this regard?

Please, register by sending a copy of your CV, latest diploma, legal status document in the host country and signed and scanned copy of the attached consent sending them by email, svetlana@fmi.uni-sofia.bg by 23 Jan 2020!

For more information about the project please visit: https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/International/projects/bridge2/bridge2.html

BRiDGE II webinar for refugee researchers on

“Transferable Skills”

28 Feb 2020, 1 PM CET

Why it is important to develop such skills? It is a crucial point in your career. You will learn more about the transferrable skills and how to use them in your career path.

This webinar presents the most important details in this process and provides information to researchers where they can find additional information.

Join us for a 1 hour interactive webinar, focused on the following topics:

• What are the transferable skills? • Do I have any? – how to assess yourself • Which skills I need and how to develop? • Is there anything in BRiDGE projects that is helpful

in this regard?

Please, register by sending a copy of your CV, latest diploma, legal status document in the host country and signed and scanned copy of the attached consent sending them by email, svetlana@fmi.uni-sofia.bg by 23 Jan 2020!

For more information about the project please visit: https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/International/projects/bridge2/bridge2.html

RECENTLY ORGANISED BRiDGE II PILOT TRAININGS FOR RRs In the last quarter of 2019, two pilot trainings and one webinar for refugee researchers were held. The complete training material is published on the program website so that it is also available for self-learning.

MANAGE YOUR RESEARCH CAREER

21 October 2019, Vienna, Austria

A one-day practical training, aimed at helping refugee researchers to obtain key career skills and competences they need in order to:

• Manage their career path;

• Learn about available sources of funding their research (national and European grants and programmes);

• Find open research positions and projects.

Downloads:

• Training: Agenda

• Training: PPTs in PDF

• Training: Lectors CV

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS SUPPORTING YOUR RESEARCH CAREER

November 2019, Bielefeld, Germany Preparing refugee researchers to find their professional realization in Europe by providing them with guidance and useful tips and information on:

• CV and job interview preparation;

• presenting research results to different audiences;

• leadership skills;

RECENT TRAININGS

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IT’S GOOD TO KNOW

SUCCESS STORIES

• networking and researchers’ networks;

• language skills for academic or scientific writing and publishing in peer reviewed journals.

Downloads:

• Training: Invitation

• Training: Agenda

• Training: PPTs in PDF

• Training: Lectors CV

BRiDGE II Online Training: Webinar: “Maintain Research Integrity”

22 Nov 2019

It is a 1.5 hour interactive webinar, focused on the following topics:

• What standards define research integrity?

• What are forms of research misconducts?

• Why is research integrity important for RR and mobile researchers in general?

• Research integrity space

• Is there anything in BRiDGE projects that is helpful in this regard?

Downloads:

• Webinar: Invitation and Agenda in PDF

• Webinar: Description

• Webinar: PPTs in PDF

• Webinar: Lectors CV

NEW EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND MIGRANT INTEGRATION

European web site on integration (EWSI) which regularly present information on migrant integration and good practices, recently published interesting article with the title: “What can we expect from the new European Parliament on migrant integration?”. The article present result of EWSI analysis on how national political parties discussed migrant and refugee integration in their programmes for the 2019 European Parliament elections.

One of the key finding is that a slight majority of MEPs ran for election on a party programme that discusses migrant or refugee integration in its programme. A solid majority of MEPs would be supportive of greater EU measures to promote integration. Also, the most popular integration-related topics, by far, relate to diversity and social cohesion, including topics related to discrimination.

Very interesting finding is that in countries with large immigrant populations, the parties are more likely to promote measures regarding Employment and Language.

You can read full article on EWSI web site https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/feature/what-can-we-expect-from-the-new-european-parliament-on-migrant-integration

Moving forward with BRiDGE II The BRiDGE II Internship Programme was launched as a way to help refugee researchers develop a career path that suits their experiences and goals. As most people with a PhD in Europe work outside of academia, the programme is designed to help researchers in danger connect with European employers who are not part of the academic world. One of the researchers participating in the internship programme is Ali Albasha.

Originally from Syria, Ali Albasha was forced to leave his home country in 2014. Making his way to Europe via Turkey, he first arrived in Italy and eventually in Sweden. As an academic, with a PhD in educational technology from the Omdurman Ahlia University in Sudan, he got in touch with the University of Gothenburg. It was his contacts at the university’s International Centre, a section working with matters linked to internationalization, who first told him about the BRiDGE II Project.

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“Then I attended a training arranged by the project where they talked about the internship programme, and I became really interested.”

An internship can be a crucial tool for researchers who are newly arrived in Europe and a good way for them to explore their career opportunities and to network. In order to encourage more researchers to participate in the programme, a grant scheme that aims to provide financial support to the participants during their internships has been set up.

One of the features of the programme is that participants have to find their own placement for their internship. After applying for the programme during the BRiDGE II training, Ali Albasha contacted Action for Education, a volunteer-run non-governmental organisation established in 2018 that is active in Greece. The organisation’s centres provide basic services and safe spaces, as well as educational programmes for women, children and youth on the Greek islands and mainland.

“I had an interview with them over Skype and I was welcome to come and work with them. My internship started on the 15th of October and will last for three months.”

“He has permitted us to improve and modify some

aspects of our programme.”

In Greece, Ali Albasha spends his days teaching English to refugees.

“The refugees who come here have very varying backgrounds, so we teach them English on different levels. There are beginner levels for those who don’t know any English at all but I’m teaching an advanced course.”

“If you only look for jobs

within the academic world there is a chance that you

won’t find anything”

Ali Albasha himself considers the internship a great opportunity and advises other researchers who have backgrounds as refugees to take that opportunity, should they get the chance, as it can open up the path to a new career.

“Academic jobs are not always available and this internship shows you something totally different from academia. If you only look for jobs within the academic world there is a chance that you won’t find anything at all and remain without a job.”

Ali Albasha is also certain that refugee researchers can be an asset to any company or organisation. “I think researchers in general have good experience, and refugees have a great motivation to move forward and can help any organisation move forward as well.”

Antoine Guittin, from Action for Education, explains that Ali Albasha’s background and experiences has made him very useful for the organisation. His understanding of different cultures has allowed him to manage situations with students, deescalate conflicts and adapt activities. “He has permitted us to improve and modify some aspects of our programme.”

Ali Albasha’s language skills are also highly valuable to the organisation. “Having someone available, who is able to translate our speeches, assemblies and our content from English to Arabic perfectly is crucial when it comes to better understanding our beneficiaries.”

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SHAHIRA’S STORY

I am Shahira Sharaf (47). I am positive and open minded. I have a strong will, sense of purpose and goal achievement. The hope and determination for the best, have always driven me. Using my capabilities and qualifications and contribute in a valuable way to people and society is what energizes me.

In 2013, I got my PhD degree specialized in methodology of social sciences from philosophy department at Damascus University- Syria. Before that, specifically in 1993, I got a diploma in physical measurements, mechanical engineering. As a measurement technician and lecturer, I’ve worked for 8 years in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Damascus University.

Prior to that, I’ve worked for 10 years as a calibration and measurement technician in the Scientific Studied and Research Center-Syria. During that time (1998-1999), I undertook international training course in Japan. Currently, I am a post-doc researcher at the University of Amsterdam in the department of social psychology.

“It was very hard to start

almost from the beginning”

In 2015, I came to the Netherlands as an asylum seeker. After I got a permit to stay for 5 years, I

started learning the Dutch language, and looking for a job. It was very hard to start almost from the beginning. In the last interview with the municipality where I live, I was pushed to find a job in any sector, including cleaning works or in a supermarket. I wondered, what does the integration to the labour market mean? find a job, regardless of matching one’s skills? I consider integration as an unfinished process, which means to use and improve my skills, and to learn new ones. As a human being, the Dutch government provided me with the basic that human being needs, and I would like to thank them for that. However, I felt in risk, because I desperately wanted to get back on track and secure my academic career, to be a researcher out of risk. Unfortunately, I received a limited support.

I followed many academic courses, participated in workshops and volunteered in many activities to increase my skills, to build a network and to integrate into Dutch society and the labour market. I also contacted with various national and international foundations, asking their support as a researcher in danger to be able to get back on track. It took too much effort, time, and patient. Unfortunately, I haven’t succeeded to find my way to the labour market neither inside academia nor outside of academia. I applied for dozens of international post-doctoral scholarships in the EU countries especially in the Netherlands, and I almost always received the same responds. I realized that I should close the gap in my C.V, but how?

“It was my honour and happiest moment to be one of

the twelve academics who got

the grant”

I volunteered as a researcher for one year in VluchtelingenWerk (the Dutch council for refugees). Last year, the NWO (the Dutch organization for scientific research) launched new pilot programme titled 'Refugees in Science', which is a one-year appointments for academics who have fled their home country and wish to continue their scientific career in the Netherlands. There were 75 eligible candidates who have been selected form hundred applications, and it was my honour and happiest moment to be one of the twelve academics who got the grant. I am very interested on migration and integration of newcomers. I am working on a research about emotional communication between native Dutch and refugees. This year also the NOW programme has been launched, and refugees in the Netherlands can apply.

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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Recently, I participated at BRiDGE II workshop, which hosted by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. It was great chance for me to meet with people from different academic background, and from different countries. It helps to build a network in European countries, which is a very important factor to find a job.

Removing barriers for displaced academics

Published on 12 September 2019 in Angle Journal Dr Miguel Antonio Lim Lecturer University of Manchester Dr Rebecca Murray Research Associate University of Exeter Dr Andreina Laera Environmental Engineer Marie Curie Alumni Association

Academics and students displaced due to conflict and unrest often face barriers when attempting to integrate and continue their professional pursuits in the country they have migrated to. To remove these barriers, understanding attitudes, structures and perceptions around displaced academics are crucial. Using a survey, we observed that, encouragingly, there is a relatively high number of support initiatives available to help displaced academics and students. More problematic were the clear concerns that were raised over the lack of concrete and practical information available regarding how to best assist displaced academics who want to continue their studies and research at European universities and research centres. Our survey highlights ‘predictable’ barriers, such as lack of financial and administrative resources, together with more complex issues, such as concern over the fairness of programmes designed specifically to assist displaced academics. Tackling these issues in an evidence-based manner remains more important than ever.

Displaced academics and students

Many refugees and displaced academics face significant difficulties finding jobs or opportunities to continue their professional practices in the countries they migrate to. The ‘European’ refugee and migration crisis peaked in 2015 and while the issue may have receded from the front page of newspapers, there remains a great need to support those who have been forcibly displaced, including various strategies for the integration of people into higher education institutions: universities and research centres (HEIs). Vital for this is exploring the perceptions of researchers in Europe regarding the barriers for refugees and displaced academics in accessing jobs and research opportunities in higher education (HE).

“….there is a need to raise awareness of what avenues

and initiatives are available to

help them….”

A team from the University of Manchester and the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) conducted a survey which explored the institutional practices and ease of access for forced migrant academics and students in European HEIs. For the purposes of this survey, forced migration was defined as an open-ended term that covers many kinds of displacement or involuntary movement—both across international borders and inside a single country. This definition includes people who have sought asylum and those who have been granted with the temporary or permanent right to remain in the country in which they sought asylum. Moreover, the survey meant to capture opinions about forced migrant academics and students, although trends and responses did not exhibit much differentiation between academics and students. The survey was principally addressed to past and current fellows of the Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions (an initiative of the European Union that provides support for researchers through a variety of programs) using the MCAA portal. The survey was also disseminated through other networks including EURAXESS, Scholars at Risk, Academics for Peace and EURODOC.

Survey context

A total of 2,834 respondents initiated the survey (however, only a much smaller proportion completed all the sections of the survey). The proportion of

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respondents varied across the survey sections. Of those that stated their gender identity, 56% (n=483) of the total respondents identified as female and 43% (n=371) male. 47% (n=404) of those who identified their age were in the 30-39 age bracket, indicating that they were relatively early in their career, further reflected by the fact that 75% (n=514) who identified their employment status said that they were on a fixed-term contract. This has implications, as we shall see, on some of the perceptions for the need for meritocratic access to HE positions. Of those that identified their employer, 93% (n=588) of respondents live and work in Europe. Importantly, 115 respondents identified themselves as forced migrant academics.

“There is a sense that refugees

should be evaluated using the same criteria, but this is, we

argue, problematic.”

This survey identified national and international initiatives for forced migrant academics and students and explored whether respondents were aware of their own institution’s involvement in these initiatives and whether they had personally participated in the delivery of any programs. The study was distinct in that it aimed to gather information about initiatives focused on facilitating access to academic opportunities in HEIs for forced migrant academics and students as opposed to the more general support provided in the aftermath of the refugee crisis. The principal aim was not to create a database or map of provision but to explore the visibility and awareness of initiatives to support the access and participation of forced migrant students and academics.

General support for migrants but concerns over ‘meritocracy’

Our main finding was that the majority of respondents 79% (n=236) who responded to the question regarding support agreed that their HEI should offer opportunities to access jobs and research work to forced migrant academics. Only 7% (n=21) felt otherwise and 13% (n=40) stated that they did not know. While there was a strong indication of support for forced migrant academics and students, the other significant finding is that there is a lack of knowledge about initiatives meant to help migrant academics and students. When asked about whether their institutions had any initiatives to support forced

migrants, 66% (n=305) did not know. Of the 13% (n=59) who answered positively, i.e. that their HEI did support forced migrants, two-thirds did not know whether forced migrant students or academics were the focus of support. There was also a general awareness that forced migrant academics face many obstacles and challenges: 60% (n=161) affirmed that they thought there were barriers at their own institution. Many respondents also did not know what local university regulations and national legislation affected (or supported) forced migrants. The survey respondents also contributed free-text responses. An analysis of these texts showed that there were four dominant themes which reflected respondents’ key concerns in terms of needs and barriers that they felt were hindering initiatives within universities to support forced migrant academics and students. These themes included: (1) concern over a general lack of resources, (2) identification of specific needs such as recognition of language ability and previous academic credentials, (3) concern that the issue is the responsibility of the state (rather than the university), and (4) concern over meritocratic access. We were not surprised that the lack of financial and administrative resources was identified as an important obstacle. Nor were we surprised that many of the respondents were unaware of what initiatives and support were available at their own institutions for forced migrant academics. Although most of the respondents supported HEIs extending help and increased access to forced migrant academics, our survey highlights concerns around the reasons why a smaller number of respondents seemed to disagree. For advocates and those trying to implement pathways for migrant academics, it is important to consider these opinions.

Institutions or states

Some respondents did not believe that HEIs should be responsible and that states were ultimately accountable for handling the issue. There is a sense that the barriers faced by forced migrant academics cannot be sufficiently addressed by solutions at the level of HEIs but rather require more systemic and political solutions. One illustrative quote reads: ‘I don't think it's particular to the institution, I think it's a problem of the UK's immigration policies’ Another area of interest is that some respondents had concerns around what we feel are issues of meritocracy (broadly understood). They did not believe that initiatives supporting access for forced migrants would be beneficial to HEIs or other researchers or the wider student body. A number of respondents felt that academic quality in Europe

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might deteriorate and that there were already foreign PhDs in Europe and thus mechanisms for integration already existed. Some felt that all applicants to jobs and position should be treated equally and that special measures for forced migrants would affect this equality. Others said that it might be difficult to differentiate who is a true ‘migrant academic’. Two illustrative quotes are: 'I see no barriers to talented academics from any country to enter any institution in the world. Supporting academics from some countries at the expense of other researchers destroys equality of the students and decreases the science level of the recipient institution in general' and ‘There are a lot of foreign PhD students in the Institute, including students arrived from Asia and Africa’ These concerns raise a number of issues. They include a need for visibility and awareness regarding who is a forced migrant and what conditions and obstacles they actually face. A number of studies show that forced migrant academics face a complex set of issues with respect to the structural challenges they encounter as well as their personal motivations to continue their academic work. There are many obstacles that forced migrants face which are distinct and different to the wider population of academics, which in some ways means that it is difficult for them to integrate into their host countries’ HEIs if they do not receive help or assistance.

Implications for higher education stakeholders

Many forced migrant academics retain their career aspirations and want to work. They want to obtain further qualifications and continue to seek opportunities to use their existing skills and experience. Our research shows that although there is a lot of goodwill towards these forced migrant academics, there is a need to raise awareness of what avenues and initiatives are available to help them and how their institutions and themselves as individuals can respond. This means that those working at HEIs need to increase the awareness around any initiatives. There needs to be a better way of signposting forced migrants to the systems that can support specific needs such as recognition of prior learning, language ability, and research experience. Our research highlighted various organizations throughout Europe who are offering some of this help. Our study also shows that there are some isolated concerns over whether extending extra help to forced

migrant academics contradicts meritocratic principles at HEIs. There is a sense that refugees should be evaluated using the same criteria, but this is, we argue, problematic. One response is to break down the barriers to understanding the lived reality faced by people who have been forcibly displaced and illustrate through personal contact or individual cases that most migrants do end up contributing much to their new HEIs. In one concrete example, our team has been advocating for the showing of documentaries such as 'Science in Exile', which traces the stories of four forced migrant academics and highlights issues around barriers but also the institutional response to support their ability to overcome these challenges. Most importantly, though, it shows that the stories of forced migrants are individual and irreplaceable. Note: This article is published under a CC BY license.

Source: Lim, M., Murray, R., & Laera, A. (2019, Sep). Removing barriers for displaced academics. Angle Journal. Retrieved from http://anglejournal.com/article/2019-09-removing-barriers-for-displaced-academics/

Contact us: Eleni Andrianopulu BRiDGE Step II Project Coordinator Bielefeld University Universitätsstraße 25 Postfach 10 01 31 33501 Bielefeld, Germany Tel: 0521/ 106-4880 Bridge.coordinator@uni-bielefeld.de www.uni-bielefeld.de/bridge2