Refugee Studies at UEL | News | Resources | Themes of the Programme | Programme Structure & Content | Curriculum | Staff | Student Testimonies | Additional Information | Programme specification | Postgraduate seminar series | Refugee Research Centre | Forced Migration Student Conference 2009 | ESRC Social Research Stream | MA Refugees, Representation and Performance | MA Refugee Studies and Community Development | MA Migration and Citizenship
Before finding out about the UEL MA Refugee Studies course, I tried many other venues to continue my studies. Every time I began one course, I would not finish it for different reasons, but mainly because I wouldn’t feel it is challenging. I was lucky enough to meet with one of the tutors of the Refugee Studies course during a seminar in Oxford who encouraged me to apply. Two years at UEL passed very quickly. I found the course very challenging, interesting and thought-provoking. The tutors were knowledgeable, very approachable and understanding. The university staff were polite and helpful. They even provided some financial assistance when I explained my circumstances.
Finishing my MA in Refugee Studies was of great importance to me, as I am a refugee myself. Every time I attended a lecture or took part in a discussion, I would say to myself, “This is exactly what happened to me.” It was a real eye-opener for me. I found out that the refugee experience of a Tunisian young man is no different from that of another person from another part of the world. The difference is in the little details, but the bigger picture is nearly the same. I was lucky enough to be in a very active class with people from a diversity of backgrounds. I was able to transmit to my colleagues some of my feelings about my experience as a refugee and was motivated by the far too many real stories I heard from my classmates from everywhere.
After I finished my MA, I decided to begin my PhD at the same University, but then I was offered a post at Al-Jazeera TV Channel. One of the positive aspects of my C.V was an MA Degree in such an exciting and challenging field of “refugee studies”. My interviewers were impressed by the wealth of information I had about this subject and they hired me directly. I’m now based in Qatar, trying to do something useful for my country and enrich my career in a very challenging position at Al-Jazeera, one of the most important media outlets in the world today. I intend to return to UEL some day to finish my PhD!
I have worked on many projects with refugees and asylum-seekers in the past, my background being in education and youth work. Originally coming from an area of Kent that was one of the first to experience the mass influx (or so the media put it) of asylum-seekers in the early ‘90s, I was interested in finding out more about the whole refugee experience in order to gain more knowledge about the subject and challenge the attitudes of others.
The modules I undertook on the MA gave me a good introduction to forced migration and took into account the current issues surrounding refugees, keeping what I was learning current and up to date. My first degree was in history and I found it fascinating to explore the historical context of refugees and the fact that refugees are not just a modern day phenomenon. I followed my own interest in media and film by exploring the portrayal of refugees in feature film for my dissertation which I thoroughly enjoyed researching.
I would encourage anyone with an interest in the refugee experience to apply for the course, whether they work in the refugee field or not. Not only will it will better your understanding of the whole phenomenon but the teaching is excellent with academics who have a wealth of experience in their field passing on specialist knowledge.
My background is in education. A lot of my students range from indigenous students to overseas asylum seekers and refugees. To get a better understanding of my students I decided I should find out more about them from a theoretical stance.
I loved the course. I thought it was pertinent, relevant. I just found it wonderful. It gave me a good grounding of the refugee experience. If you want to understand the refugee, come on this course.
If you want to help and support the cause, come on the course. If you want to learn about human rights and refugee law, come on the course.
I had worked with African refugees in the urban setting of Cairo for 10 years before deciding to study the MA in Refugee Studies at the University of East London. The course helped me broaden my knowledge and understanding of refugee issues and took me from a very specific refugee context and experience to a global perspective. The course brought together students from a wide-range of backgrounds and experiences and used a relaxed, student-centered and participatory learning environment to allow us to benefit from the rich academic, professional, and cultural diversity of both staff and fellow students. The staff were professional, experienced, enthusiastic, committed and very supportive.
Since completing the Master's in Refugee Studies, I have been working with the UNHCR office in Cairo, where on an almost daily basis, I put into practice what I learnt from the course. Ultimately, the course was very valuable in that it helped me improve my professional performance and better assist the refugee community amongst whom I serve.
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I decided to do the course, first and foremost, because I was a refugee myself in 1933 when I left Nazi Germany. What I found particularly interesting is mixing with people from all over the world. Sometimes I felt out of place as an old man but I found I was accepted by young students as one of their own.
The course certainly enriched one’s knowledge because it’s a worldwide problem. I’m part of this refugee stream of people. My study has led me to conclude that we can all benefit from understanding the problems of refugees.
I was already working in the refugee sector and felt that this MA would give me a bit of an edge. Then I went and did it! I enjoyed every bit. The support was great.
Classes brought together students from many backgrounds interacting with each other. I now feel my work has certainly been improved by the theoretical grounding I got from the course.
My insights on refugee issues are valued by management and this has earned me a promotion with more responsibilities within the organization. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
I started the MA Refugee Studies at UEL with open-minded optimism. With hindsight, the course has given me an opportunity to do three things: challenge myself intellectually in the company of fellow students from around the world; explore aspects of my family’s experience; and, a tall order, finally put my finger on how I could best engage with human rights work. The breadth of material covered on the course, alongside the opportunity to deepen understanding in areas of particular interest, is backed up with the invaluable insight of the teaching staff, refugee student colleagues and other students with hands-on experience working in the area of forced migration, both in the UK and elsewhere. This real-life input is a strength of the UEL course which has provided me not only with a solid theoretical understanding of issues relevant to refugees and work with them, but has also served as an immediate stepping stone to a radical career change. I went straight from finishing my dissertation into work on two research projects followed by a placement as a volunteer legal advisor at AMERA (Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance) in Cairo. Now back in the UK I am training as a lawyer with a view to working in the area of human rights and refugee law.
In the years leading up to my joining the MA in Refugee Studies at UEL, I had become increasingly frustrated and outraged at the political hostility towards asylum seekers and immigrants and at the constant media campaigns distorting the realities behind the refugee phenomenon. After volunteering full time for a year in various NGO's and organisations working with asylum seekers in the UK, I joined the MA at UEL, and had the opportunity to explore the topic intensely in the company of students, practitioners and academics coming from very diverse and interesting backgrounds.
I was impressed with the progressive and critical approach to the topic, by the dedication and passion of the staff and particularly by the enormous support and personal attention I received by tutors and my thesis supervisor. Not only did the course provide me with an opportunity to develop my academic skills. The experience nourished my commitment and passion to continue in the field and to carry on researching and working on issues of exclusion and forced migration.
© 2009
Click here to download Refugee Studies Brochure in PDF format [776K]
MA Refugee Studies *ESRC recognised* social research stream
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, September 2009
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