Paper short abstract:

The central theme across the study was the centrality of university-led partnership with government to restore dignity to refugees. The findings suggest that members of institutes of higher learning can inspire actions to restore dignity to refugees through teaching, publication and advocacy.

Paper long abstract:

The torture, trauma and worst forms of violence/ crime that refugees often go through take away their dignity. There is the need for the host countries to go beyond humanitarian interventions in order to restore the dignity of refugees. The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in ensuring a dignified life for refugees in Ghana. Universities as Higher Education Institutions have a critical and unique role in helping to restore dignity for refugees through teaching, research and advocacy. Using a qualitative approach, this paper provides a synthesis of interdisciplinary perspectives on the contribution of the HEIs to ensure a dignified life for refugees in Ghana. A central theme across the interviews was the centrality of university-led partnership with government and local communities to achieve a dignified life for the refugees. The paper employed thematic analysis for the qualitative data gathered from the respondents. The consultations imply divergence of respondents' opinions, and the conclusion drawn from the study is that HEIs have not given much attention to the refugee issues as part of their social responsibility. The study recommends that HEIs should prioritise research, advocacy and support services to refugee issues as part of their social responsibility and community engagement strategy. Also, governments and the donor community should provide funding to universities for the development of policy-relevant evidence, co-produced with relevant stakeholders, for policy makers to address this human development challenge in Ghana.

Paper Download (267 KB)