A place of sanctuary
We're promoting equity of opportunity for those displaced by conflict around the world.
The University of Glasgow is proud to be a University of Sanctuary, an accreditation that we achieved in November 2022. Universities of Sanctuary are recognised for promoting fairness and equity of opportunity for all, including those displaced by conflict around the world.
We are committed to embedding a culture of welcome into our University policies and processes and to actioning the United Nations’ pledge to achieve 15% enrolments of refugees into higher education by 2030.
"As a University of Sanctuary, it is our responsibility to ensure that anyone with the drive, determination and desire to pursue a university degree is empowered to do so. By expanding our commitments and enhancing our scholarship portfolio, we can better enable those who have been affected by humanitarian crises to achieve their University of Glasgow dream." – Rachel Sandison, Deputy Vice Chancellor, External Engagement, and the University’s Sanctuary Champion.
Over the coming years, we will be expanding the support available to refugees and asylum seekers by increasing the number of study opportunities for applicants seeking sanctuary in the UK for humanitarian reasons. From the beginning of the 2025–26 academic year, we have a commitment to increase the number of Sanctuary Scholarships from 20 to 30 places.
Alongside the Sanctuary Scholarships, we are also launching a new scholarship in memory of a former Erasmus student, Dima Alhaj, who was tragically killed in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East while working for the World Health Organisation. The Dima Alhaj Scholarship will be offered annually to a Palestinian national applying to study for an undergraduate or postgraduate taught degree at the University of Glasgow.
The University continues to support three Ukrainian partners through the Universities UK #TwinForHope project and has been working in partnership with the Scottish Government and Linda Norgrove Foundation to support six female Afghani medical students. In addition, we have pledged support to the Technical Education Support Initiative led by An-Najah National University and the Mediterranean Universities Union, to provide essential educational support to students in Gaza.
This article was first published October 2024.
Changing lives
In the two years since achieving University of Sanctuary status, we have awarded 40 Sanctuary Scholarships to students who have travelled to the UK for humanitarian reasons. Many of these individuals have fled their home countries under highly distressing circumstances, leaving their loved ones and all that is familiar in a bid to escape the threat of persecution, war or violence. For those who experience forced migration, a Sanctuary Scholarship can be truly life changing. As well as providing essential financial support, fee waivers and accommodation, these scholarships help to light the way during the darkest times and offer the promise of a brighter tomorrow.
Mohammad Varchandi (above) received a Sanctuary Scholarship after fleeing from Iran and describes this opportunity as being “like what CPR does for someone who is about to die. It brings credit and confidence back to people who were lost in the ocean of refusal and ignorance.”