Teesside University event helps Ukrainian refugees learn about higher education opportunities in the UK

A party of Ukrainian refugees living in the North East has attended a special event to learn about higher education opportunities in the UK as part of a Teesside University open day.

The University welcomed 57 Ukrainian people aged between 17-50 years old and gave them the opportunity to learn more about student finance and entry requirements and to speak to academics and support staff.

The initiative was organised by Teesside University in partnership with the British Red Cross Ukrainian team to provide first-hand information and support for individuals who want to study in the UK. More than 174,000 people have moved to the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme since the start of the war in February 2022, according to The Migration Observatory.

Gary Crawley, Student Recruitment and Outreach Manager at Teesside University, said: “We are extremely happy to be supporting Ukrainian people across the North East, and to be able to showcase the courses, facilities, and support available here at Teesside University.

“The response to the event has been amazing. Our visitors really engaged with the information about studying in the UK, and they were keen to hear about the support available to them here on campus during this awful ongoing conflict.

“People were interested in the career options available to them, particularly in the NHS, and we have already had queries around future events. We hope that some of them will choose to study here at Teesside University.”

“Our University is a diverse and welcoming community, and we are proud to support the people of Ukraine in these difficult times.”

Tresor Bukasa, Service Co-ordinator Refugee Support and Manager Ukraine Response N.E at the British Red Cross, said: “Working in partnership to run this event has been fantastic. It has given vulnerable individuals from Ukraine the chance to come together in a group rather than just visiting an open day on their own.

“We want to support them as they integrate themselves in the UK, and this event has given them valuable information and answered many of their questions.”

“The feedback on the health facilities at Teesside was very positive and the NHS courses stood out in particular.”

---