The York Sanctuary Fund supports students and academics displaced by conflict where it is needed the most, providing scholarships to asylum seeking students and supporting human rights defenders.

Today, only 6% of refugees have access to higher education compared to 40% of people globally. This is not a reflection of their talent or passion, but rather the lack of opportunities and funds available to them. Sanctuary and safety should not come at the expense of future prospects, but currently it does.

You can help to change this. The need to help students and academics displaced by conflict has never been greater, but together, with your support, we can make a difference. 

One person who has been supported through the York Sanctuary Fund is Saeed. Saeed is originally from Syria, where he was completing a Masters degree in a time when many academics were disappearing. His master’s supervisor was in the US visiting family when she got news that her husband, also an academic where Saeed was studying, had been forcibly disappeared. She decided not to return. 

The whole situation was surreal for Saeed, with constant hardship and uncertainty. Saeed lived in this state for several years, until 2016 when he was told he would have to finish his studies and go into military service. At this point, Saeed contacted the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA) who worked with him to secure a fellowship in the UK, although during this time he had already had to leave Syria and temporarily lived in Lebanon. 

CARA Fellowships are one of the initiatives supported through the York Sanctuary Fund. With your support we can help more academics like Saeed from around the world, who need urgent help to escape from discrimination, persecution, violence or conflict.

“CARA put me on the path toward my dream of becoming an academic. It was life-changing on so many levels. They didn’t just help me with the fellowship for a PhD and postdoc; they also provided a fellowship at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor, where I had a two-year scholarship and was in constant contact with people from all walks of life—not just scientists, but also social scientists, psychologists, philosophers. This was also life-changing. I learned that not everything is solved by science alone. CARA expanded my network and exposure, giving me ideas about what I want to do in the future. I’ve always thought of myself as an academic doing science, but I’d also love to be involved in rebuilding Syria and giving back as much as I can—to the UK, its society, and science here. I always want to give back, to pay back even a tiny fraction of the debt I owe.”

Saeed, York Sanctuary Fund beneficiary

The York Sanctuary Fund not only opens doors to academic and professional opportunities, but has also helped provide recipients with a sense of security and belonging in a new country. It can turn what is a challenging and uncertain journey into one of hope, purpose, and possibility.

The fund is designed to respond to the unpredictable nature of global issues, allowing York to continue to provide realistic packages of support to those seeking sanctuary, taking into consideration the multiple challenges they face.

Please consider supporting York to continue to be a place of sanctuary for those who need it by making a gift to the York Sanctuary Fund this Giving Day. 

Thank you.