June NUI Galway Marks World Refugee Day

Twelve new Scholarships Announced for Vulnerable Immigrant Groups and Irish Travellers

To mark World Refugee Day on June 20^th, NUI Galway has announced the expansion of its University of Sanctuary Scholarship Programme from nine scholarships to twelve for the 2020-2021 academic year. Scholarships will be available for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the university, and will be open to asylum seekers, refugees, vulnerable immigrant groups, and Irish Travellers. As a designated University of Sanctuary, NUI Galway is committed to addressing low levels of participation at third level amongst vulnerable groups, and the scholarship programme underpins the pillars of Respect, Excellence, and Openness within our Strategic Plan 2020-2025.

Speaking today, President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “In our recently-launched strategy, Shared Vision, Shaped by Values, we as NUI Galway, and as a recently-designated University of Sanctuary, committed ourselves to the public good and to shared values of respect, openness, excellence and sustainability. We committed ourselves to respect all members of our community and to be open to – to embrace – all of our communities, including and especially those who have not found our context to be their own. We therefore stand with all of those – globally and in our own community – who have felt the pressure of discrimination and dispossession on their necks. We stand and we are not silent. We stand and we stand in solidarity, knowing that we need to do right and that we need to sometimes do better too. Black Lives Matter. This matters to us all”

Professor Anne Scott, NUI Galway’s Vice President for Equality and Diversity, added: “The COVID-19 crisis has further exposed divisions in our society between those who can access educational resources and those who due to social circumstances are struggling to reach their potential.  The University’s commitment to expanding this scholarship scheme at a time when we face straitened financial resources highlights our belief that now more than ever we need to offer greater supports to broaden access to education and tackle inequality.”

The application process will open in early July, and potential applicants can visit www.nuigalway.ie/sanctuary, or email uni.sanctuary@nuigalway.ie   for details. 

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