The UAF, the foundation for refugee students, is planning to link 500 refugees to mentors. The project application was accepted by the National Postcode Lottery.

Thanks to Refugees@Campus, as the project is called, 500 refugee students will be given a mentor for three years who will support them as they build a future in the Netherlands. The mentors will supplement the support that the UAF offers every year to around 3,000 highly qualified refugees.

Adapting

“Many refugees take some time to adapt to the Dutch education system and social interaction at universities. So we want to link them to a mentor, a student who helps them find their way around the university, the student association, the sports club and in the city”, says Mardjan Seighali, director of UAF.

In three years’ time, the project aims to have linked 500 refugee students to a mentor. Over the coming months, the UAF will be developing the plans and starting to recruit mentors. The organisation expects a significant rise in the number of requests for support in the coming period.