Integration policy for Syrian refugees' access to Turkish higher education: Inclusive enough?

Abstract

Opening its door to 3.6 million Syrians, Turkey is host to the largest refugee population today (UNHCR 2020). In addition to providing them with humanitarian aid, Turkey has made academic and financial reforms to enhance Syrian refugees' access to higher education (Ergin and de Wit 2019). Thanks to these reforms, over 27,034 Syrian refugees accessed Turkish universities as of the end of 2019 (CoHE 2020). Appreciating this humanitarian effort of an emerging country without abundant resources, this study questions how the government policy of enhancing Syrian refugees' access to Turkish universities could be more inclusive. In this respect, using available official statistics of current Syrian students in Turkish higher education, this study reveals which Syrian refugees have accessed higher education in Turkey and what should be done to enhance the access of other Syrian refugees who are left behind there.