Details of the Initiative

It is said that there are more than 80 million refugees and internally displaced persons in the world today, where conflicts, terrorism, and persecution have persisted. This means that many people are deprived of the opportunity to study, which is a major problem for humanity today. Higher education opportunities, in particular, lead to a variety of future options and career paths.

As a partner university of the UNHCR Refugee Higher Education Program (RHEP) run by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Japan and the United Nations Association for UNHCR (UNHCR), the official support office for UNHCR activities, Meiji University has been accepting non-Japanese refugees (from Myanmar, Syria, etc.) living in Japan since 2011. For those students, Meiji University provides the equivalent of tuition fees and grants for study. While in school, the students participate in events such as the UNHCR Refugee Film Festival School Partners hosted by the university, and share their experiences, which provide learning opportunities for the Japanese students who participate.

Flyers for the Refugee Higher Education Program
A poster for the UNHCR Refugee Film Festival School Partners (AY2018 event)
A refugee student gives a speech at the UNHCR Refugee Film Festival School Partners.