Bard Scholars Jonathan Becker and Zarlasht Sarmast Publish Article on Civic Engagement and Displaced Students
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—Bard College Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Politics Jonathan Becker and Zarlasht Sarmast, Civic Engagement Network Coordinator for Bard and the Global Higher Education Alliance for the 21st Century (GHEA21), published an article this week which reframes forcibly displaced and refugee students as important potential civic actors.The article, which appears in the journal Internationalisation of Higher Education – Policy and Practice, emphasizes that universities and international organizations must view displaced students not as burdens, but as contributors whose civic work bridges cultures and strengthens democratic values. Using extensive survey data and in-depth interviews with forcibly displaced and refugee students, primarily from Afghanistan, Myanmar and Palestine, Becker and Sarmast argue that participation in civic engagement activities can have a salutary effect on the students’ sense of agency, feeling of connectedness, psychosocial health, and academic and professional development while making them better prepared to contribute to society, including the new societies in which many have resettled.
“By creating civic engagement opportunities, institutions help students move from survival to contribution,” Sarmast says. “This shift benefits both the students and the societies they join, transforming displacement into a source of collective resilience and innovation.”
An Afghan student who settled in the US through the Qatari Scholarship Academic Program sponsored by Education Above All and the International Institute of Education said that after arriving in the United States, she could not “shake the feeling that I didn’t belong.” However, her participation in civic engagement projects helped her overcome this and enhanced her connectedness. “Civic engagement has transformed my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined,” she continued. “It gave me a platform to address the shared challenges of my community and helped me stay connected to my roots, even while living far from home . . . Through this work, I’ve not only found a sense of purpose but also a sense of belonging.”
A Rohingya student from Myanmar who, while displaced in Bangladesh, participated in projects that educate Rohingya youth, expressed similar sentiments: “Through engagement and activism, I remain deeply connected to and committed to the progress of my community through my civic engagement work.”
Becker said, “Through our extensive work with displaced students and refugees at our main campus in New York and our partner campuses, like the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, we have been able to illustrate that these students are immensely talented and inventive, and that supporting civic engagement projects, whether with their old communities or their new ones, provides students with a sense of agency and helps them to adjust and thrive.”
The article also calls on the United High Commissioner for Refugees to empower refugees through civic engagement activities as it presses its goal of enrolling 15% of refugees in higher education by 2030.
“Our findings show when displaced students are given the opportunity to engage civically, they not only strengthen their own resilience and sense of purpose, but also enrich the communities around them,” said Sarmast. “These students are far more than recipients of aid or passive participants in education, they are leaders, educators, and changemakers whose experiences and insights offer valuable lessons to all of us in higher education and beyond.”
Researchers who want to read the article can find it here.
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About Education Above All
Education Above All (EAA) works to ensure equal access to education and to harness the power of quality education for positive, sustainable, and inclusive change. EAA was founded by Moza bint Nasser, the former first lady of the State of Qatar and a long-time advocate for education. Access to quality education means equal opportunity for a better life for every child, yet those who need education the most have the least access to it. New UNESCO data shows that the global number of out-of-school children has risen by 6 million since 2021 and now totals 250 million children and youth (UNESCO, Sep 2023) who are out of school, 69.9 million are children (UNESCO, Sep 2023) of primary school age. EAA aims to change this by providing educational opportunities to help shape children and youth into global leaders and agents of positive, sustainable change. EAA beneficiaries are able to leverage a full cycle of change and empowerment, from primary education to professional training for job placements. Learn more at educationaboveall.org.
Education Above All (EAA) works to ensure equal access to education and to harness the power of quality education for positive, sustainable, and inclusive change. EAA was founded by Moza bint Nasser, the former first lady of the State of Qatar and a long-time advocate for education. Access to quality education means equal opportunity for a better life for every child, yet those who need education the most have the least access to it. New UNESCO data shows that the global number of out-of-school children has risen by 6 million since 2021 and now totals 250 million children and youth (UNESCO, Sep 2023) who are out of school, 69.9 million are children (UNESCO, Sep 2023) of primary school age. EAA aims to change this by providing educational opportunities to help shape children and youth into global leaders and agents of positive, sustainable change. EAA beneficiaries are able to leverage a full cycle of change and empowerment, from primary education to professional training for job placements. Learn more at educationaboveall.org.
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About Bard CollegeFounded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place and Massena properties, Bard’s campus consists of more than 1,200 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in nearly 40 academic programs; advanced degrees through 13 graduate programs; nine early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 165-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at the main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.
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About the Global Higher Education Alliance for the 21st Century - GHEA21
GHEA21 is a new model of global higher education that provides unrivaled opportunities for undergraduate students to pursue global learning with faculty and peers from around the world. GHEA21 partner institutions span five continents, assembling a powerful network that advances an unwavering commitment to educational access and excellence in teaching, scholarship, and critical thinking. The GHEA 21 model is grounded in reciprocal relationships with a shared commitment to build resilient institutions that cherish academic freedom and prepare students to address fundamental global challenges.
GHEA21 is a new model of global higher education that provides unrivaled opportunities for undergraduate students to pursue global learning with faculty and peers from around the world. GHEA21 partner institutions span five continents, assembling a powerful network that advances an unwavering commitment to educational access and excellence in teaching, scholarship, and critical thinking. The GHEA 21 model is grounded in reciprocal relationships with a shared commitment to build resilient institutions that cherish academic freedom and prepare students to address fundamental global challenges.
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This event was last updated on 10-10-2025
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