The European Commission and the HOPES project funded by the EU’s Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis (the ‘Madad’ Fund), are organising a conference in Beirut on 26 and 27 September 2017 on how to support the access of refugees and vulnerable populations from host countries to higher education in the Mediterranean region.

The conference is gathering more than 120 participants, including representatives from ministries, international and non-governmental organisations, universities, as well as students from the Mediterranean region and Europe, in addition to representatives from the European Commission and EU Member States.

The opening of the conference was attended by the Lebanese Minister of Education and Higher Education, Marwan Hamade, the Head of the EU Delegation to Lebanon Ambassador Christina Lassen, and the President of the Association of Arab Universities, Sultan Abuorabi Al-Adwan.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Lassen said: ”Syria, the region, the European Union and the whole world need highly educated, technically sound, self-confident and motivated people who are active members of their communities. Through access to higher education, these individuals and their communities will have higher hopes and better prospects for the future. For that, we need quality universities that can create an environment of trust, respect, and non-discrimination, and higher education institutions that encourage cultural and religious diversity, and promote respect for the individual and personal freedom.”

The European Union has provided material, help and expert knowledge to incorporate Syrian youth and vulnerable host communities into higher educational institutions with an investment of €53 million alone from the EU’s Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis.

This support has generated around 3,800 full scholarships, 5,741 language courses and over 40,000 counselling sessions.

Read More

Press Release

Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon

EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis