Rebecca Granato ’99, Bard VP for Global Initiatives and Director of OSUN Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives, Speaks with the Council on Foreign Relations about Migration, Refugees, and Education

Speaking with the Council on Foreign Relations, Rebecca Granato ’99, vice president for global initiatives for Bard College and director of OSUN Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives, spoke to the need for systematized enrollment of refugee students into institutions of higher education. Noting that “primary and secondary education for refugees is most frequently treated as an emergency response,” Granato outlined the impact that a more inclusive educational approach would have for displaced students. “Between interrupted education and poor-quality opportunities in host countries, even the brightest youth often lack the necessary skills,” she says. Support structures like those offered through the Open Society University Network are necessary to support these students, not only in moments of crisis, but throughout their educational journeys. “We really need to create pathways and pipelines between different higher education institutions and programs,” Granato says. “We need to include connected opportunities, scholarships in countries of first asylum, and also third-country opportunities so that students can move between degree possibilities, like any of us would, who want to get a higher education.”

Post Date: 11-08-2022