November 9, 2023
News
Many refugees worldwide face various challenges ranging from shelter and water to education. Getting tertiary education is still almost impossible for many refugees. Thanks to Caritas Czech Republic, UNHCR and other partners who facilitated and introduced the University Corridors for Refugees scholarship programme, refugees like Philibert and Magda are now studying for master's degrees at top universities in Italy.
The UNICORE scholarship programme presents a great opportunity
The University Corridors for Refugees Programme (UNICORE) aims to give refugee students currently based in Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe an opportunity to continue a master's degree programme in Italy through a scholarship.
Sixty-nine refugee students have been chosen for this programme in the eight eligible countries. Four refugee students with degrees from reputable universities have successfully been selected in Zambia for this scholarship. Among them are Philibert and Magda, who have left the country to pursue their careers in their fields of choice.
Philibert Mujyambere: I want to help my community
“I’m thrilled to finally go to Italy to study for my master's degree. This is the day I have been looking forward to,” says Philibert excitedly a Rwandese refugee living in Zambia.
Like every other scholarship applicant, Philibert had to go through the entire application and interview process. He notes that the process was long, but worth it because he proved that he had always studied hard and looked forward to achieving a higher qualification than his degree programme.
Philibert received a scholarship to pursue a master's degree in cognitive science in Italy. Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary study of mind and intelligence, which embraces philosophy, psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, linguistics, and anthropology.
“Looking at the way things are going and the kind of programme I’m going to study under the UNICORE scholarship, I believe that this programme will help me and my community a lot. Having been a refugee, I have always seen how traumatised my community is because of the aftermath of wars. This trauma is the reason why I decided to study cognitive science, a field of psychology that will help me integrate myself into the societies I'm going to, or if I come back to Zambia, I will help my community and sensitise others,” Philibert says.
Philibert is excited because he believes that he will inspire the next generation and show them that hard work always pays off and that they must dream big and look forward to bigger things. The sky is not the limit. Philibert did not know that even though he is a refugee, he could go as far as going to Italy to do his studies. “Thank you so much to all the people who facilitated my journey to this day, and I also look forward to studying and attaining a good education,” he says thankfully.
Magda Hirwa: I have always been passionate about medicine and biotechnology
Magda, a Rwandan refugee living in Zambia, was able to start her master's degree in pharmaceutical biotechnology at the State University of Milan in Italy through the UNICORE scholarship programme.
Magda studied industrial pharmacy because she has always been passionate about the medical discipline. She believes that the opportunity to pursue a master's degree in pharmaceutical biotechnology will take her career forward in many ways.
“I will mainly be focusing on manufacturing drug molecules from living organisms, and I’m looking forward to playing a role in many cancer treatments. That is something I was interested in during my bachelor's and doing this degree makes it possible to do that job in caring for our patients in DNA levels. It’s overwhelming, but I can’t wait to see how it turns out, and I’m looking forward to it,” says a visibly happy Magda.
Caritas Czech Republic continues to support refugee education in Zambia
With the support of UNHCR and other partners, Caritas Czech Republic has been supporting refugee education in Zambia for many years. For over 3 years, we have been running the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative DAFI scholarship programme that supports refugees in Zambia. The DAFI scholarship aims to empower refugees and enable them to pursue higher education, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary for personal and professional growth. We also support refugee livelihoods through Integrated vocational and entrepreneurship training and support income support-generating activities in Mayukwayukwa and Meheba Refugee settlements.
