Brussels, 11/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 11 May, the Higher and Further Education Opportunities and Perspectives for Syrians (HOPES) project was officially launched in Brussels.
The project has an envelope of €12 million and is financed through the EU Regional Trust Fund for Syria. It is being coordinated by DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) in collaboration with the British Council, Campus France and EP-Nuffic. Although the project was launched officially on 11 May, it actually began on 26 April. It will be up and running until November 2019.
HOPES seeks to improve opportunities for young Syrians, and help prepare the reconstruction of Syria when the conflict ends, by way of providing higher and ongoing education for Syrian refugees and members of the host communities aged between 18 and 30, in countries neighbouring Syria (Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq). According to the Secretary General of DAAD, Dorothea Rüland, 20% of young Syrians were in higher education before the war - but this figure now stands at 5%.
One of the aims of HOPES is to provide career advice for Syrian refugees and host communities. Organisations involved in developing the project estimate that 42,000 people will be able to benefit from it. More than 300 academic grants will also be allocated, and 4,000 students will be able to benefit from courses to improve their level of English. Two calls for proposals will also be published to finance innovative education by local providers and it is hoped that at least 3,500 Syrian refugees will benefit from this initiative. A dialogue between stakeholders in the region will be conducted in an effort to facilitate their coordination. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)