Conflicts around the world continue to devastate the lives of individuals and communities, forcing many of those affected to find refuge in neighbouring countries or further afield.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has once again brought this reality into sharpened focus. While aid efforts in such situations concentrate on immediate needs, education is amongst the top requirements in the weeks that follow. Education is central in efforts to protect children and youth in the near-term and fostering peaceful coexistence over the longer-term.

But how can education enable individuals and communities to build durable futures when there is great uncertainty about where these futures will be?

Recognising the protracted nature of refugee situations, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) prioritises the integration of refugees into the national education systems of host countries. How does this strategy work in practice for refugee children, when education systems focus on creating national citizens of the future? What aspirations do pupils, their communities, teachers, national authorities and donors have for refugee education?

This seminar “Refugee Education Reimagined: A Pedagogy of Hope” will explore these questions in ways that aim to re-imagine what education can offer refugees and nation-states. We will do so, drawing on findings from the REBuilD project, insights from practitioner experts in the field, and knowledge and experience from the audience.

There will be both a virtual seminar and in-person seminar.

Virtual: Thursday May 19, 8:30-11:00AM ET, 2:30-5:00PM Oslo time, 3:30-6:00PM Nairobi/ Beirut time. Sign up here.

In-Person: Friday 20 May, 8.30–12.00PM, at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Hausmanns gate 3, Oslo. Sign up here.

For those who can join in-person on Friday, the seminar will start with a light breakfast and end with lunch, to allow time for networking and mingling.