Syrian Refugees as Leaders: An Innovative Model for Cross-Cultural Exchange and Education

This collaboration between UCL and the University of Lincoln will pilot an innovative cross-cultural exchange educational model

This project trained Syrian refugee youth enrolled in Multi-Aid Program's (MAPs) Higher Education Platform to design and lead seminar workshops for UK secondary school students. MAPs, a refugee-led community-based humanitarian organization in Lebanon, was a partner in this participatory project that takes a co-design approach. The key action-oriented objectives related to community engagement beyond the academy included:

• changing attitudes on global challenges and harmful stereotypes around refugee capabilities through cross-cultural communication and dialogue
• strengthening refugee leadership and critical thinking capacity
• enhancing engagement on global challenges and collective solutions for all students

The activities were designed to contribute new knowledge around innovative forms of connected learning practices and the influence this can have on both students and the leaders from marginalised backgrounds. 

The project was designed to impact the lives of students in both Lebanon and the UK. The outcomes included: 

1. Introducing students at schools in Lincolnshire to global challenges and perspectives, new ideas, concepts and cultures 
2. Enhancing leadership and critical thinking skills for refugee leaders 
3. An innovative cross-cultural exchange educational curriculum is piloted to inform future scaleable models for Connected and Social-Networking Based Learning.

The group co-created a short documentary Through the Lens of Dignity. Through the Lens of Dignity (22 mins) is an educational documentary exploring the experiences of three Syrian women living as refugees in Bekaa, Lebanon. We follow Reem, Eman and Bayan as they fight for their dignity in displacement. The film takes a community-based and participatory approach to capture unheard narratives crafted on the terms of refugees themselves.

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