by Nathaniel Whelan
We are thrilled to announce that on Monday, June 24, Carleton University signed two new Memorandums of Understanding (MOU), one with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR Canada) and the other with Jumpstart Refugee Talent.
Interim President Dr. Jerry Tomberlin and other members of the Carleton community welcomed delegates from UNHCR Canada, including Rema Jamous Imseis, the UNHCR Representative to Canada, and Malaz Sebai, Director of Operations at Jumpstart, to mark the occasion.
Other partners present at the ceremony included Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Invest Ottawa, the Scholars at Risk program, and Carleton’s Local Committee of the Student Refugee Program at World University Services Canada.
As a result of conflict, persecution, and climate change, the number of forcibly displaced people rose to 120 million by the end of 2023, the 12th consecutive annual increase. Participants at the ceremony noted how 75% of forced migrants remain in low- and middle-income countries, often for generations, without any prospects of finding a solution to their displacement.
The Sérgio Vieira de Mello Chair is a global initiative designed to enhance the role of universities in supporting responses to these historic new levels and to help find solutions. In recognition of its leadership in teaching, research, and community engagement on issues of forced migration, the MOU signed with UNHCR Canada makes Carleton the first university in Canada to host a de Mello Chair.
This new agreement will advance the ongoing work between Carleton and UNHCR Canada in experiential learning, research, and policy engagement, as well as support new areas of cooperation, including joint fundraiser efforts and the development of an education pathway to permanent residence in Canada for refugees through our Graduate Diploma programs. A full 3-year workplan has already been developed and can now be put into practice.
The development of a new education pathway for refugees, in close partnership with Jumpstart and other partners, is an ambitious area of innovation that responds to the contributions that refugees can make in their host countries and communities, and helps implement a commitment made by the Government of Canada at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum in Geneva.
We are equally excited about our new partnership with Jumpstart Refugee Talent.
Jumpstart is a remarkable refugee-led initiative that has been a pioneer in finding innovative ways to recognize the skills and expertise of refugees and integrate them into the Canadian workforce. Since 2015, Jumpstart has connected refugees, employers, and other partners to accelerate job readiness, create meaningful employment connections, and advance economic mobility.
This MOU provides the framework for future cooperation between Carleton and Jumpstart, including the development and implementation of new activites to support refugees and other newcomers to Canada, as well as enhance the entrepreneurial skills and spirit of refugees to launch groundbreaking ideas.
These new partnerships are coming off the heels of World Refugee Day on June 20. Designated by the United Nations, it marks a time to celebrate the strengths and courage of refugees, while shining a light on the rights, needs, and dreams of those forced to flee their homes.
This year’s theme “solidarity with refugees” is the fundamental principle that drives the work Carleton is engaged in. From the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network to hosting the co-chair of the Global Academic Interdisciplinary Network and more, we are proud of the advances our dedicated faculty members have made (and continue to make) in forced displacement solutions.
Join us in wishing everyone involved good luck on their road ahead.
Visit our website to learn more about how Carleton is raising refugee voices.