The University of Nottingham welcomes refugees, asylum seekers and those who have been forced to migrate.
We endorse the City of Sanctuary charter, showing our support for the ‘City of Sanctuary’ vision that the UK will be a welcoming place of safety for all. Through our teaching, research and scholarship, we aim to transform lives and unlock potential.
We actively support staff, students and the local community who are seeking sanctuary. We offer language courses and support for refugees and asylum seekers aspiring to university. Refugees are given reduced grade entry to the university and can apply for the Maycock Whileman Scholarship. Our Outreach and Pre Entry Support Officer, Blake L is the key contact providing personalised advice to refugees and asylum seekers considering applying to the University of Nottingham.
Every year, our students give hundreds of volunteering hours, working with refugees and asylum seekers in Nottingham through societies such as Student Action for Refugees (STAR). STAR was founded by University of Nottingham students 25 years ago and now has membership of over 30,000 students UK-wide and organisations at 50 universities. STAR UoN runs conversational English classes with partnered organisations such as the Red Cross and Nottingham Women’s Centre. UoN STAR groups help to run IELTS classes alongside the Red Cross.
Student Action for Refugees (STAR) have also created a guidance document to help highlight the potential impact of university scholarships and bursaries on asylum support.
As a member of Cara (the Council for At-Risk Academics), our academic colleagues can access support if they are in immediate danger of arrest, injury or even death, targeted by repressive regimes or extremist groups, or fleeing war zones to come to Europe and the USA.
The University of Nottingham's Rights Lab is the world’s first large scale research platform for ending slavery by 2030. The five research programmes of activity of the Rights Lab cover issues directly related to generating knowledge about and raising awareness of those seeking sanctuary as they provide rigorous data, evidence and discoveries for the global antislavery effort.
Many modules taught at the university focus on raising awareness of issues relating to refugee and asylum seekers. Sanctuary seekers are invited to share their perspectives with students and materials draw on their first-hand experiences.
Sharing
From public events and knowldge exchange activities, to presenting and publishing research, we welcome opportunities to share our learning. Find out more about our latest research, events and opportunties to get involved: