Stichting voor Vluchteling-Studenten UAF

Stichting voor Vluchteling-Studenten UAF (formerly University Assistance Fund and Universitair Asyl Fonds) is a Dutch non-governmental organization that supports highly educated refugees in achieving a suitable social position. It advises, guides and supports refugees with their studies and with finding work in the Netherlands that matches their capabilities. The organization is the oldest refugee organization in the Netherlands, founded in April 1948 by the Dutch universities in response to the arrival of the first Czechoslovak refugees, among whom were many students and teachers. It was initially called the Universitair Asyl Fonds and later the University Assistance Fund, before taking its current name in 1968 when its support extended beyond university students to refugees and asylum seekers in higher professional education. The UAF works with refugee students, professionals and scientists on their future in the Netherlands. Through personal guidance and financial support, it enables them to follow an education that suits them, from secondary vocational education (mbo) to university, and to find connection to the labor market. Its support is supplementary to existing public provisions. The organization employs around 100 staff and annually guides approximately 3,000 students, about 90 percent of whom eventually receive a residence permit from the IND. Each student is personally guided by a UAF student counselor who helps them navigate the Dutch education system. The UAF also organizes activities and meetings where students can meet each other, and provides financial support where necessary by paying study costs for which the student cannot use government provisions; part of those payments consists of a loan. The Job Support department, established in 1993, offers tailored support for finding suitable employment, providing tools that enable job-seeking refugees to find and obtain their desired job themselves. In addition to individual guidance, the UAF engages in lobbying activities, for example through consultations with universities and universities of applied sciences about the position of refugee students, and with politicians in the House of Representatives, national government and municipal council members. The organization sets conditions for refugees and asylum seekers to qualify for support: they must have sufficient prior education and language level to follow a university or higher professional education program, and the UAF assesses through its own testing whether someone has rightly claimed refugee status, using the Geneva Refugee Convention as a guideline. Income comes largely from donors, supplemented by support from the National Postcode Lottery, project-based subsidies from the European Refugee Fund (EVF), and project-based subsidies from some ministries and municipalities. The UAF was nominated for the Nansen Refugee Award in 2008 and was named the most effective charity in the Netherlands by newspaper Trouw in 2011, finishing third in the 'Welfare and Culture' category of the Trouw charity top 50 in 2012. Ruud Lubbers was chairman of the UAF board from 1 July 2006 to 1 May 2014, when Job Cohen took over. Since 1 September 2021, Maarten van Beek has been chairman of the Supervisory Board.

The UAF was founded in April 1948 as the 'Universitair Asyl Fonds' and is the oldest refugee organization in the Netherlands. The initiative for its founding was taken by the Dutch universities, following the arrival of the first Czechoslovak refugees to the Netherlands in February 1948. Among them were many students and teachers. To give them the opportunity to complete their education in the Netherlands, the universities established the Comité Adhesie Tsjechische Studenten on 24 February 1948. This committee made world news at the time. Soon after its founding, the foundation was renamed the University Assistance Fund, as it also supported refugees from countries other than Czechoslovakia. In 1968 the name was changed again to the current Stichting voor Vluchteling-Studenten UAF, because the organization by then supported not only university students but also refugees and asylum seekers in higher professional education. In 1993 the UAF decided that the foundation should no longer focus solely on study guidance for refugees but also on guidance to the labor market. To that end, the Job Support department was established. Over the years, the UAF has supported thousands of refugees in obtaining a Dutch diploma. A number of them later held important positions in Dutch society, for example in politics, the arts and the media. Some of them are Martin Šimek, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Kader Abdolah and Halleh Ghorashi.

• Comité Adhesie Tsjechische Studenten established by Dutch universities.

• UAF founded as 'Universitair Asyl Fonds'.

• Renamed University Assistance Fund.

• Renamed Stichting voor Vluchteling-Studenten UAF.

• Job Support department established to guide refugees to the labor market.

• Ruud Lubbers becomes chairman of the UAF board.

• UAF nominated for the Nansen Refugee Award.

• Named most effective charity in the Netherlands by Trouw.

• Third place in Trouw charity top 50, category 'Welfare and Culture'.

• Job Cohen takes over as chairman of the UAF board from Ruud Lubbers.

• Maarten van Beek becomes chairman of the Supervisory Board.

The oldest refugee organization in the Netherlands, focused on enabling highly educated refugees to study and work, positioning itself as good for refugees and good for the Netherlands.

• Study guidance and counseling

  Personal guidance by a UAF student counselor to help refugees navigate the Dutch education system.

• Financial support

  Payment of necessary study costs where the student cannot use government provisions; part of it consists of a loan.

• Job Support

  Tailored support for finding suitable employment, providing tools for job-seeking refugees.

• Lobbying and advocacy

  Consultations with universities, politicians, government and municipalities about the position of refugee students.

1. 1Stichting voor Vluchteling-Studenten UAF official websiteuaf.nl
2. 2Stichting voor Vluchteling-Studenten UAF on Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Stichting voor Vluchteling Studenten UAF on Wikipedia (Dutch)nl.wikipedia.org