Did you know that only 1 percent of the world’s 65 million refugees have a university degree? Alarming, isn’t it?

This may change if a [much needed] recommendation by a Portuguese diplomat who spoke at the Australian International Higher Education Conference last week is substantiated.

Portuguese diplomat Helena Barroco urged universities around the world to offer more scholarships to refugees, and attendees from more than 30 countries at the Conference that took place in Hobart agreed.

In Australia, refugees or asylum seekers have vastly different experiences in accessing university. The ambitions of most of them have been put on hold due to their visa statuses.

Do you think that refugees/asylum seekers in Australia should be given access to education until their cases are being decided on?