In Summary

  • Swinburne is committing to education opportunities for students from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds
  • Swinburne is one of six Australian universities part of the new national network

Swinburne is one of six Australian universities to form a new national network that aims to ensure education opportunities are accessible to students from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.

The group will work to build stronger networks between institutions, practitioners, students and communities.

Its members include:

  • The Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network Australia
  • Refugee Council of Australia
  • University of Newcastle
  • RMIT University
  • Macquarie University
  • Griffith University
  • University of Western Sydney
  • Swinburne University of Technology

Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Advancement) Glen Bates says Swinburne would help contribute to achieving better educational outcomes for students from refugee and asylum seeker networks.

“People from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds often face significant barriers in pursuing further study,” Professor Bates says.

“By forming a national network of education institutions and support organisations we can help break down these barriers and ensure that all students that have access to higher education and have the opportunity to succeed at it.”

Objectives of the group include:

  • Creating greater collaboration and networks between institutions, practitioners and providers to achieve better outcomes for students from refugee backgrounds
  • Sharing ‘best practice’ initiatives, research, interventions, programs and support mechanisms across Australia
  • Sharing information about pathways into higher education available to students from refugee backgrounds and other culturally and linguistically diverse students
  • Advocating with and on behalf of students from refugee backgrounds on issues that affect their ability to access, engage in and transition out of higher education 

A portal has also been set up to keep member organisations in touch and up to date with work going on in the sector. 

Find out more about support for asylum seeker and refugee students at Swinburne.