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In our six-year strategy, there are four aims that guide our mission:

• Access and opportunity: We are expanding equitable access to education for displaced academics and students worldwide.
• Research and advocacy: We are advancing knowledge and promoting positive change through impactful research and advocacy initiatives.
• Digital education and innovation: We are leveraging and optimising existing digital education solutions to expand access and opportunities for displaced populations.
• Sustainability and adaptability: We are ensuring our educational programmes and initiatives are sustainable and adaptable, meeting the evolving needs of displaced populations.

We strive for a future where access to education knows no boundaries. We aspire to build a global community that values diversity, promotes inclusion, and guarantees fair access to high-quality education and opportunities. Our goal is to empower displaced students and academics to succeed, no matter their circumstances.

In 2024-2025 Education Beyond Borders supported:

• Postgraduate scholarships for displaced scholars
• Cara fellowships for at-risk academics
• Staff and student led initiatives
• Partnerships with key organisations
• Refugee Week 2025

In 2024-25 the programme focused on our primary strategic aim - Access and Opportunity - prioritising improving access to education and establishing quality support for the wellbeing of students on the Postgraduate Scholarship.

The 21 students on the 2024-2025 postgraduate scholarship have had access to:

• Pre-arrival support; help with accommodation, travel, finance, English language testing
• Mentors to support their student journey; volunteer staff across the university
• 1:1 support from the Education Beyond Borders team
• Monthly in-person ‘coffee and cake’ sessions to socialise and get themed academic support
• Regular resources, support, and events shared in a bespoke scholar newsletter
• Funded opportunity to attend the University of Sanctuary conference

Education Beyond Borders developed a Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy to track progress using anonymised student feedback:

• 93% said the programme improved their access to higher education. One student said “This is a game-changing opportunity for me, as it allows me to return to my field after everything I have been through.”
• 93% said the programme’s pre-arrival support was useful
• 100% said the support they received from Education Beyond Borders during the academic year was useful
• 43% said that their wellbeing had improved since joining the University of Edinburgh, and none reported that their wellbeing had worsened
• 93% said that they felt Education Beyond Borders prioritised wellbeing

The feedback also identified key areas that we plan to improve on: careers support, responsiveness to email, mentoring programme, and support for budgeting.

Advancing our mission to provide continued access to education for displaced scholars, from September 2025 we will also be supporting:

• : We are delivering a new online scholarship programme with 20 places for people who are displaced in low-middle income.
• : We are providing funding and direct support through this British Council scholarship for a Palestinian student on a Masters or PhD programme.
• : We are co-funding and supporting two displaced students from the Levant region to complete Masters programmes.
• Displaced undergraduate scholarships: In partnership with Refugee Education UK, we are co-funding and supporting two female undergraduates from South Sudan, currently in the Kakuma Refugee camp in Kenya, to join the International Foundation programme and continue onto undergraduate degree programmes.

We are committed to widening participation and ensuring inclusivity and global access for displaced students and academics. By supporting the UNHCR ‘15 by 30’ campaign, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and by maintaining our status as a University of Sanctuary, we aim to foster an equitable and inclusive educational environment for all. 

Addressing the many challenges faced by people in displaced communities cannot be solved by universities and access to education alone. But higher education institutions can, and do, play an important role in addressing some of these challenges.

We believe that freedom of scholarship and education is a human right and critical to fostering peace, justice and prosperity. The University is committed to supporting displaced scholars, and in doing so protecting intellectual capital and upholding the core values of higher education and research.