Article by Bard Scholars Jonathan Becker and Zarlasht Sarmast Featured in Times Higher Education

Jonathan Becker, vice president for Academic Affairs and director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College, and Zarlasht Sarmast, Civic Engagement Network coordinator for Bard and the Global Higher Education Alliance for the 21st Century (GHEA21), published an article in Times Higher Education about how empowering displaced students through civic engagement is valuable both for those students and for the academic communities in which they are situated. The article argues that student activities such as community-engaged courses, short-term volunteer projects, and robust civic engagement projects that address issues in their local communities or their communities back home are beneficial for displaced students on multiple levels by imparting a sense of agency, academic and professional development, and an avenue for moving from survival to contribution and empowerment. “Displaced students contribute significantly to university communities,” Becker and Sarmast continue. “Their viewpoints, knowledge, and leadership are critical to addressing the interconnected concerns of displacement, inequality, and global citizenship, and provide insight into myriad global challenges.”

Post Date: 11-18-2025