Development Management Policy Seminar on “Exploring Challenges of Educational Response to Syrian Refugee Crisis in Jordan”

The above seminar was held on Wednesday, 14th October, 2015 in the Main Conference Room of the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS) building. The guest speaker was Dr. Tejendra Pherali who is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Education, London University College, University of London, United Kingdom (UK). The topic of his lecture was “Exploring Challenges of Educational Response to Syrian Refugee Crisis in Jordan”.

Dr. Pherali started his presentation by discussing how globally education is at risk due to conflicts happening in different countries in the world. He went on to present how education can be a life saver in times of crisis, since it serves as a key platform for other humanitarian interventions. Dr. Pherali also discussed how education as a process if being contested by some scholars, demonstrating instances under which education attracts criticism.

Dr. Pherali shared with the seminar attendants the three conceptual approaches (humanitarian approach, developmental approach and human rights approach) to educational interventions in crisis situations, as well as a critical discourse on humanitarianism. He then gave a status of Syrian refugee crisis, highlighting the number of Syrian refugees registered in Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and North Africa. Dr. Pherali specifically talked about the plight Syrian refugees in Jordan, citing challenges faced in three schools in the Za’atari Camp.

Dr. Pherali introduced the issue of certification-globalizing qualifications of Syrian refugees for global economic market and the issue of social tensions in the context of Syrian refugees. His presentation likewise touched on the questions of where is education leading to and how UN conducted convention on Refugees. He concluded his presentation by sharing with the participants the enormous challenges faced in the struggle to address the problem of Syrian refugees.

The seminar was highly informative and practical, as it brought to the forefront education issue in refugee crisis, especially in Jordan. The students gained very useful advice on how to do the research on education and the associated risks. During the question and answer session, the students asked a number of questions, aimed at understanding the educational challenges facing Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan.

Authored by Jun XU
Research Student