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On World Refugee Day, Solidarity Starts with Education

Every year on June 20, the world pauses to acknowledge the strength, courage, and resilience of millions of people who have been forcibly displaced by conflict, persecution, and disaster. By the end of 2024, their number had risen to over 120 million worldwide. But we must do more than commemorate — we must act.

We live in a world where anything, anywhere, is everywhere. A conflict in one region reverberates across borders. The displacement of communities disrupts economies, politics, and social cohesion far beyond the frontlines. A drought in one country sends ripple effects through global food systems. An attack on education in one town silences potential across continents.

Europe has seen this firsthand. From the war in Ukraine to ongoing displacement from Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Gaza, the effects of the crisis ripple into our classrooms, our communities, and our economies. What happens “over there” no longer stays “over there.” The global refugee crisis is not someone else’s problem — it is every-one’s responsibility.

In a deeply connected world, solidarity is no longer a moral luxury — it is a necessity. We are bound not only by digital infrastructure and shared markets, but by our common humanity. If we are serious about building a more just, peaceful, and stable world, we must invest in the futures of those who have lost so much, starting with edu-cation.

And amid the urgency of shelter, food, and safety, there is one powerful tool that is too often overlooked: education. More specifically, access to higher education.

Higher education is often treated as a secondary priority in emergencies. But for refugees and displaced youth, it is nothing short of a lifeline. Access to universities and professional training offers more than knowledge — it offers hope. It can mean the difference between dependency and self-reliance, despair and purpose, marginalization and empowerment. It helps young people heal, build a future, and contribute to the rebuilding of their communities, whether in exile or back home. It lays the foundation for social inclusion, economic participation, and long-term resilience.

Yet fewer than 7% of refugee youth worldwide have access to higher education – a staggering gap that denies both individuals and the world the full potential of human talent. For girls and young women, the number is even lower. We are losing a generation of doctors, teachers, engineers, and leaders. We are wasting potential that the world — and Europe —cannot afford to ignore.

Europe’s universities, governments, and civil society have a unique opportunity to lead by example. Through scholarship programmes, flexible admissions, recognition of prior learning, and partnerships with institutions in the Global South, we can open doors for displaced students. We can show the world what solidarity truly looks like.

On this World Refugee Day, we must ask ourselves: Are we doing enough to ensure that hope doesn’t end at the classroom door? Are universities opening their gates wide enough? Are donors investing in long-term learning, not just short-term relief? Are we building bridges, or walls?

Solidarity must mean more than sympathy. It must mean opening opportunities, sharing resources, and recognizing that a future where refugee students thrive is a future where we all thrive.

This is not charity. This is investment — investment in peace, in stability, and in the talent we need to tackle global challenges. Education is not separate from the refugee response. It is central to it.

Let us reaffirm our shared humanity. Let us acknowledge that our fates are inter-twined. And let us ensure that when a young refugee knocks on the door of opportuni-ty, that door is not closed.

Let us stand together—not only in recognition of suffering, but in commitment to op-portunity. Because solidarity is not a slogan — it’s a commitment. And in a world where anything, anywhere, is everywhere, that commitment must begin with education — for refugees, for communities, for all of us.

(Post edited by AI generator)