Navigating Education, Migration, and Religion in Higher Education: A Case Study of Dokuz Eylül University


Ünalp Çepel Z., Abka S.

Workshop on Crossroads of Learning: Exploring the Intersection of Education, Migration, and Religion, Valletta, Malta, 3 - 04 March 2025

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Unpublished
  • City: Valletta
  • Country: Malta
  • Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, the issue of migration has become an important part of Turkish domestic and foreign policy. Türkiye has started to implement a social integration policy for Turkish nationals and migrant groups in line with EU migration policy. As a result, education policies at all levels, including higher education have directly been affected by this process. There is an increasing number of studies in the literature dealing with the integration processes of refugee students in universities. Accordingly, this study aims to contribute to the existing literature on the integration process of refugee students who were forced to migrate to Türkiye. Through the case study of students at Dokuz Eylül University, it also aims to contribute to the exploration of the intersection between education, migration and religion and to measure the bilateral perceptions, learning processes and interactions of the university staff, local students and refugee students. The research is based on the information and observations collected during the activities organised within the "Leave No one Behind Project", which took place in 2022 at Dokuz Eylül University in cooperation with UNHCR. Besides, based on the results of the focus group interviews conducted in separate sessions with Turkish and refugee students as part of the corresponding project are also examined. The research suggests that the problems arise at the intersection of education and religion and that the prejudices can be eliminated by discovering the socio-cultural similarities as a result of socialisation and the resolution of shared memories.