Universities unite to help stranded students

The UK universities have committed to providing alternative pathways to postgraduate education for students affected by the Home Office’s “visa brake” introduced in March. This initiative is made possible through the Mosaik Scholarship, which offers study pathways for students from Myanmar, Cameroon, Sudan, and Afghanistan.

These countries were identified as having a high number of asylum claims made by international students, prompting the government to pause study visa applications. As a result, students from these nations were unable to access UK campus-based scholarships, including the Chevening program.

Commitments from UK Universities

So far, 19 funded places have been secured through commitments from King’s College London, the University of London, the University of Leicester, the University of Northampton, the University of St Andrews, Cardiff University, Birkbeck, University of London, the University of Salford, and Aberystwyth University, in partnership with Higher Ed Partners UK.

All programs will be delivered through online or transnational education routes, which are currently the only available pathways for new students from the affected countries to gain a UK degree.

Global Response Platform

The initiative has been coordinated through the Global Response Platform, a sector-wide collaboration led by Mosaik Education that connects UK universities with humanitarian networks supporting displaced and crisis-affected students.

Through the platform, universities receive support identifying and selecting students, as well as coordinating with partners in affected regions, including UNHCR India, Prospect Burma, and Open Dreams in Cameroon.

Ben Webster, CEO of Mosaik Education, said the collaboration demonstrated how the sector could respond collectively when traditional routes to education were disrupted. He noted that for students in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan, and Cameroon, a UK scholarship was one of very few viable ways to continue an education that conflict had already disrupted once.

The visa brake closed this route for them. With UK universities teaching over 650,000 students outside the UK, the infrastructure to reach these students has always been there. What was missing was a way for the sector to act on it together.

One of the key aspects of this initiative is that it highlights the growing role of online and transnational education in expanding access to UK higher education for students unable to relocate.

University Support

Professor Sally Wheeler, vice-chancellor of Birkbeck, University of London, said the institution was “proud” to offer new routes to students who would otherwise not get access to UK higher education.

Professor Phil Allmendinger, pro vice-chancellor (education) at the University of London, added that the University of London is proud to support the Mosaik Scholarship and to stand alongside partner institutions in ensuring that talented students affected by conflict, displacement, and restrictions on mobility are not excluded from higher education.

Jo Purves, pro vice-chancellor partnerships and global engagement at the University of Salford, noted that the scheme reflects the university’s commitment to ensuring students are not prevented from accessing education because of their location.

Mosaik Education is now calling on additional UK universities with online or transnational education provision to join the initiative and commit further places, with the aim of supporting around 50 students overall.