Providing a safe place to live, work and study
Universities of Sanctuary is an initiative to recognise the good practice of universities in welcoming people seeking a place of safety into their communities, fostering a culture of awareness and inclusivity.
In 2019 St Andrews was awarded University of Sanctuary status, thanks to efforts led by the St Andrews Refugee and Forced Migration Network, which brings together representatives from across academic Schools and the university’s leadership team.
The group set out to support the development of a strategy and policy for academics at risk and provide a resource hub for current support, projects, research and teaching relating to refugees and forced mobility.
City of Sanctuary has partnered with Article 26, Student Action for Refugees, and others to develop a network to inspire and support universities to develop a culture and practice of welcome within their institutions, in their wider communities, and across the Higher Education sector in the UK.
Initiatives to maintain the Sanctuary status include the Sanctuary Operations Group, which brings together key colleagues from across the University to liaise with staff, students, the local community and external stakeholders to coordinate information sessions and training on what it means to be a University of Sanctuary.
The Group also maintains an oversight of legislation and policy to assess the implications for St Andrews and its communities and make recommendations to the Principal’s Office as appropriate. It also works closely with the University of St Andrews Refugee and Forced Mobility Network and Refugee Action St Andrews (RASA) to share information.
Since 2019, the University has offered Sanctuary Scholarships to support undergraduate and postgraduate applicants seeking sanctuary in the UK, providing them with refugee status, humanitarian protection, discretionary leave, tuition waivers and living cost grants.
It is under the Sanctuary umbrella, and specifically the University’s work with the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA), that the University has been able to provide support to academic colleagues and research collaborators in Ukraine. CARA specialises in getting academics safely out of conflict zones.
Forced migration research and teaching
A broad range of research and teaching related to forced migration and/or (forced) migrants is taking place at the University, including at the Centre for Minorities Research (CMR).
The CMR brings together interdisciplinary expertise from across seven Schools. Centre members are committed to exploring intersectionality in the everyday lives of minorities, both in Scotland and internationally. Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in the University and wider community is central to their activities.
The CMR arranges public talks, holds networking events, organises outreach activities, collaborates on funding applications and policy-oriented research, and coordinates the Borderworlds series of webinar consultations and reciprocal in-person events with postgraduate students and young researchers in collaboration with Charles University in Prague. In June 2034, Charles University hosted the Borderworlds Conference, and presentations were made by St Andrews researchers Dr Stavroula Pipyrou and PhD candidates Camila Ferreira Marinelli, Rory Cassie, and Christina Chalache.