Online university helps refugees achieve goals

Overcoming barriers to higher education

California-based University of the People

has established an online Arabic language course

in the hopes of responding to the needs

of thousands of Arabic-speaking students

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) Project Manager At "Arabic University Of The People", Mohammed Rizkallah, Saying:

"We saw what had been happening in the Arab region over the last ten years, and we found out that there are many refugees who do not have the chance to join universities because of their circumstances, where they live, or their economic conditions. So we wanted to offer them opportunities. Most of the countries they seek refuge in require them learn a foreign language, or at least English, and given that they missed out on many educational opportunities because of their circumstances, they only speak Arabic. We felt that it was our duty to offer an Arabic programme similar to the one we offered in English."

The university offers four-year bachelor degrees

taught online with the help of volunteer academics and retired university staff

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLE AND SYRIAN REFUGEE IN TURKEY, HALA AL-ZAYYAT, SAYING:

"Offering courses in Arabic, as well as English, was a major transformation, this was a big opportunity, really. There are a lot of Syrians, like my relative who just spoke to me and asked me about the programme, showing interest in joining the University of the People once the programme in Arabic was open. When it was offered in English, she was not thinking about it.”