University of Sanctuary
Source: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/who-we-are/social-environmental-justice/sanctuary/ Parent: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/
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Newcastle University awarded University of Sanctuary status
Newcastle University strives to create a welcoming and safe environment for everyone. Since June 2021, the University has proudly held the University of Sanctuary Award.
We have a long-standing commitment to offering education, research and engagement opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
The Sanctuary status recognises our student wellbeing support, outreach events and research activities. These contribute to awareness-raising about sanctuary in the University, and our community.
Our global activities
Our status as a University of Sanctuary aligns with our core values, as a people-focused University with a longstanding tradition of working to benefit society. Through the co-creation of knowledge with partners we seek to strengthen this further. As a civic university, our regional engagement is integral to ensuring that our academic and professional activities have economic, social and cultural benefits.
Our global activities include working with other institutions and networks that engage meaningfully with those seeking sanctuary. In 2019, we signed the Global Refugee Forum pledge. This is a commitment to work towards providing access to Higher Education for 15% of refugees by 2030.
There are more than 40 Universities of Sanctuary across the UK. Each institution is working to create and promote a culture of welcome in their communities.
More about the Sanctuary Award
This is a practical manifestation of our deep-seated commitment to social justice. I am delighted that the hard work of many colleagues and students to support people affected by conflict across the globe is recognised through this award.
Professor Jane Robinson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Engagement and Place
Our work and initiatives
Sanctuary scholarships
We offer sanctuary scholarships every year. These have been designed to enable students from asylum-seeker and refugee backgrounds to progress to higher level study.
Council for At Risk Academics
We joined the CARA Scholars at Risk Universities Network in 2013-4 and have remained an active member since.
We host CARA fellows at the University, offering placements to scholars who are at-risk in their home countries due to persecution, political repression or violence.
Teaching and learning
Our teaching activity includes modules engaged with issues around the experience of seeking sanctuary across a range of subject areas.
We support and encourage learning to promote awareness and understanding through our teaching, through research, public lectures and our communications.
Undergraduate modules that focus on sanctuary issues include:
- Refugees and Displacement: borders: campus, and asylum (Sociology)
- Issues in Global Migration and the Politics of Migration (Politics)
- Geographies of Development and Displacement (Geography) \ Fictions of Migration (English)
- Immigrant Second Language and Literacy Acquisition (Linguistics)
- Human Rights Law (Law)
- Global Public Health (Health)
PG taught curriculum includes examples such as:
- Migration, Mobilities and Inequalities (Sociology)
- Movement of persons in a global world (Law)
- PGCE Primary (Education)
Staff in Linguistics have developed six free online multi-lingual modules.
Student volunteering
Our students engage with sanctuary seekers through diverse volunteering opportunities. Examples here include:
- North East Solidarity and Teaching (NEST), a multi-award winning student-led project at Newcastle University Student’s Union.
- Students in Dentistry participate in a student group called Brush Up where they seek to spread positive messages about oral hygiene with diverse communities including specifically refugee community groups.
NUWEE Partnership
We are partnered with Ukraine’s National University of Water and Environmental Engineering (NUWEE) through the UK–Ukraine Twinning Initiative. This allows universities around the world to support Ukrainian institutions, fostering meaningful and long-lasting relationships for the future.
This has developed into a range of key initiatives including:
- an Undergraduate student exchange programme
- a Peer Assisted Language Learning Programme
- professional development opportunities
- an Academic Mentorship scheme
These initiatives run alongside research collaboration, in water and environmental engineering and other areas of mutual interest.
Research projects and initiatives
Our research by academics, PhD and Masters students focuses on numerous topics relevant to migration and sanctuary.
- Newcastle Forum for Human Rights and Social Justice regularly host conferences and seminars on topics relating to sanctuary including engagement with sanctuary seekers.
- Researchers in Applied Linguistics co-ordinated a European-wide project for marginalised migrants – including refugees – to learn English and improve their digital literacy through cooking. Lingacuisine successfully shared this work in six European languages
- Take a look at some of our projects from the Centre for Heritage to discover the wide reach of our work and the impact we're having
- Social researchers are currently working on research about refugee youth and public space in collaboration with a number of local refugee community organisations.
- A 2025 collaboration with Hope Beyond Borders tested an intervention to support migrants with digital literacy and inclusion - Co-producing Digital Skills Sessions with Hope Beyond Borders.
The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience
The University has a longstanding partnership with the ICSC with a number of staff/student projects
Refugee Week and International Refugee Day
We celebrate Refugee Week and International Refugee Day with a series of events across the University. Events have ranged from photography exhibitions to creative workshops to podcasts, all of which celebrate the talent and contribution of refugees and asylum seekers.
Free online sanctuary training
All Newcastle University colleagues and students are welcome to access this short online course from City of Sanctuary. ‘Myth Buster; Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers’ is aimed at anyone wanting to get a simple overview of migration in Newcastle.
It provides a basic overview of:
- the work happening in Newcastle in relation to migration
- common terms: what are the differences between, migrants, asylum seekers and refugees
- some of the issues that may face asylum seekers and refugees in Newcastle
- some facts about migration, challenging some of the myths that exist in the migration debate
- where to go and who to contact if you would like further information, or to support the work with asylum seekers and refugees in Newcastle
You will need to sign up to access the course, selecting Newcastle University and ‘other’ as your job title.
City of Sanctuary Training Course
Sanctuary support
Hello. My name is Ana, and I would be delighted to support you through your time at Newcastle University.
Having worked in refugee charities for the past four years, I have a broad understanding of the challenges of navigating the asylum process and integrating into a new country.
University is such an exciting and important moment in life, but it can also be challenging - especially if you are concerned about a pending asylum claim, unsure about your rights and what support is available, or worried about family members and the situation in your country of origin.
Maybe you have not had the space and support to process painful experiences and how these might have affected you.
Or maybe you are facing challenges connected to adapting to a new environment.
Whether you would benefit from practical and/or emotional support, I am here to help you making the most out of your experience at university.
Email: sanctuarysupport@ncl.ac.uk
Newcastle University Sanctuary Steering Group
- Prof Jane Robinson, PVC for Engagement and Place (Chair)
- Dr Samjo Beso, Lecturer in Architecture
- Lucy Backhurst, Academic Registrar
- Sally Ingram, Director of Student Health and Wellbeing Service
- Carolyn Laws, Internal Communication Manager
- Irena Rencesova, Deputy Team Manager, Student Health and Wellbeing
- Prof Chris Whitehead, Interim PVC Global
- Dana Ofiteru, Academic Lead for NUWEE Partnership
- Elisa Miles, International Office
- Ana Sanchez-Beato Varela Student Health and Wellbeing Service Counsellor
- Rahima Ali, Refugee Transition and Integration Officer
- Newcastle City Council
- Tom Lynum, Active Inclusion Officer / City of Sanctuary Lead, Newcastle City Council
- Paul Tyack, Director of Advancement
- Skyler Hawkins, Lecturer in Politics of Race & Ethnicity (Dr Lewis Turner, Research Leave)
- Eleanor McNair - NUSU Ethics and Environment Officer