UniRef

UniRef, short for University for Refugees, is a Geneva-based humanitarian non-governmental organization focused on expanding access to higher education for refugees and financially disadvantaged people in host communities. Rather than operating as a conventional university, it develops and delivers adapted, employment-oriented university courses in cooperation with universities, humanitarian organizations, and public authorities. Its model is designed for communities affected by displacement, where students may face financial, legal, logistical, and institutional barriers that make conventional multi-year degree programs difficult to access. The organization was founded in 2013 by Yvelyne Wood and Bryan Wood under the name Swiss International Humanitarian Organization, or SIHO. Its first field initiative was created in Burundi and was called UniRef, an abbreviation of University for Refugees. That mission's name subsequently became the name of the organization. The founders' initial objective was to support people affected by armed conflict, with higher education becoming the central instrument of the organization's humanitarian approach. UniRef's rationale is that tertiary education can support both personal development and longer-term integration. A recognized qualification can improve access to employment, reduce dependence on humanitarian assistance, and help refugees participate more fully in their host societies. The organization also presents higher education as a contribution to future reconstruction and social stability. Its target group has included young people who have completed secondary education but are excluded from conventional university pathways because of poverty, displacement, limited institutional capacity, or the conditions of life in refugee settings. The first UniRef program was planned for the Musasa refugee camp in Burundi, which hosted refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Classes were scheduled to open on September 28, 2015, but political disturbances in Bujumbura led to a postponement. The wider political crisis in Burundi subsequently constrained the work of international associations and humanitarian organizations. UniRef amended and ultimately withdrew from the mission, and its representative office in Muyinga closed in December 2017. UniRef later developed a Jordan program for Syrian refugees living in urban areas and for Jordanian members of host communities who lacked the financial means to pursue higher education. The project was undertaken with the Jordanian Red Crescent and organizations linked to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Pilot classes opened in August 2020 for 100 Syrian refugees. The planned model envisaged short, professionalizing courses lasting approximately one year, with potential enrollment of 1,000 students annually over five years, or 5,000 students in total. The initial fields identified were information technology, agriculture and agribusiness, and health, reflecting perceived labor-market needs and the requirements of the host country. UniRef's distinctive positioning lies in combining humanitarian assistance with structured post-secondary education. Its courses are intended to be shorter and more practically oriented than traditional university programs, while being adapted to refugee communities and coordinated with local authorities and institutional partners. The available reference material documents the organization's origins, Burundi mission, and Jordan initiative, but does not establish its current operational footprint, financial scale, leadership roster beyond its founders, or present legal status.

UniRef emerged from the work of the Swiss International Humanitarian Organization, established in 2013 by Yvelyne Wood and Bryan Wood to assist people affected by armed conflict. The organization later adopted the name UniRef, derived from University for Refugees, after using that name for its first education-focused field mission. The organization developed its approach around the gap between humanitarian assistance and access to higher education. Refugee education programs often concentrate on primary or secondary schooling, scholarships, or advanced postgraduate study. UniRef instead sought to create practical tertiary programs for young people who had completed secondary school but could not enter conventional universities. Its model emphasized shorter courses, adaptation to the realities of refugee life, cooperation with local institutions, and alignment with labor-market demand. The first mission was planned for the Musasa refugee camp in Burundi. The camp primarily accommodated refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including people displaced by the long-running conflict in that country. UniRef planned to begin professionalizing instruction on September 28, 2015. Political disturbances in Bujumbura delayed the opening, and the deterioration of the Burundian political environment subsequently made the work of associations and international NGOs more difficult. Government restrictions introduced in 2017 affected humanitarian operations, requiring UniRef to modify its plans and withdraw. Its representative office in Muyinga was closed in December 2017. UniRef subsequently focused on a Jordan initiative intended to serve Syrian refugees in urban areas as well as Jordanians in host communities who could not afford higher education. The project was developed with the Jordanian Red Crescent and other institutions associated with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The partnership reflected UniRef's belief that education should benefit both displaced populations and the communities receiving them. The Jordan program was structured around compressed, employment-oriented university courses of roughly one year. The format was intended to address the difficulty refugees face in committing to long academic programs, as well as the limitations of local infrastructure and public higher-education capacity. Pilot classes opened on August 15, 2020, for 100 Syrian refugees. The broader plan contemplated free instruction for approximately 1,000 students per year over five years, totaling 5,000 participants, with access also available to economically disadvantaged Jordanian nationals. The initial academic areas were information technology, agriculture and agribusiness, and health. The reference material states that the courses received approval from relevant Jordanian ministries. UniRef's history is therefore defined by an education-as-humanitarian-response model. It treats post-secondary credentials as a means of improving employment prospects, reducing aid dependence, strengthening social inclusion, and preparing refugees to contribute to the reconstruction of their countries of origin. Available material documents the Burundi and Jordan missions but does not provide enough information to confirm the organization's current programs, finances, scale, or leadership after the period covered.

• 2020

  Jordan program launched

  [1]UniRefen.wikipedia.org

  UniRef and humanitarian partners began a Jordan initiative offering adapted university training to Syrian refugees and economically disadvantaged members of the host community.

• 2017

  Burundi representative office closed

  [1]UniRefen.wikipedia.org

  Political restrictions and instability led UniRef to revise and withdraw from its Burundi mission; the Muyinga representative office closed in December.

• 2015

  First Burundi education mission planned

  [1]UniRefen.wikipedia.org

  UniRef planned professionalizing higher-education classes for Congolese refugees at the Musasa camp in Burundi, with an intended opening date of September 28.

• 2013

  Organization founded

  [1]UniRefen.wikipedia.org

  Yvelyne Wood and Bryan Wood created the Swiss International Humanitarian Organization, later associated with the UniRef name.

A humanitarian education organization using short, employment-oriented higher-education programs and institutional partnerships to support refugee inclusion, self-reliance, and host-community development.

• Higher education · 2015

  University for Refugees programs

  UniRef's core offering consists of university-level education adapted to refugee communities. The programs are intended for students who have completed secondary education but face barriers to conventional higher education. They emphasize practical skills, shorter study periods, cooperation with local and international partners, and relevance to employment and integration.

• Professional education · 2020

  Jordan professional higher-education courses

  The Jordan initiative was designed as a set of approximately one-year professionalizing courses for Syrian refugees and economically disadvantaged Jordanians. The documented fields were information technology, agriculture and agribusiness, and health. Pilot classes opened in 2020 with humanitarian and local institutional partners.

• 2020Jordan University for Refugees initiative

  Jordan

  UniRef partnered with the Jordanian Red Crescent and related Red Cross and Red Crescent institutions to provide free, employment-oriented higher education for Syrian refugees and financially disadvantaged members of the Jordanian host community.

  Outcome. Pilot classes opened for 100 Syrian refugees. The longer-term plan targeted 5,000 students over five years, but the available material does not confirm the final results.

  Source
• 2015Musasa refugee-camp mission

  Burundi

  UniRef planned to provide professionalizing tertiary education to refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the Musasa transit camp in Burundi.

  Outcome. The planned launch was delayed by political disturbances, and the mission was later amended and withdrawn amid restrictions on humanitarian organizations.

  Source

• 2020

  Launch of adapted higher-education courses in JordanProduct launch

  Background

  UniRef identified limited access to tertiary education as a major problem for Syrian refugees and economically disadvantaged members of Jordan's host community.

  Action taken

  The organization launched pilot classes and designed approximately one-year professional courses in information technology, agriculture and agribusiness, and health.

  Aftermath

  The pilot began with 100 Syrian refugees, with a stated plan to reach 5,000 students over five years. Final delivery and outcomes are not confirmed by the available material.

  Source

• 2017

  Withdrawal and redesign of the Burundi missionStrategy

  Background

  Political instability and tighter government control over associations and international NGOs disrupted UniRef's operations in Burundi.

  Action taken

  UniRef amended its mission and withdrew from the country, closing its representative office in Muyinga in December 2017.

  Aftermath

  The Burundi project did not continue in its original form. The available sources do not document the organization's subsequent internal strategy in detail.

  Source

• 2020

  UniRef announces a Jordan higher-education initiative for refugees[1]UniRefen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Campaign

  UniRef began implementing a Jordan project intended to provide short, professionalizing university courses to Syrian refugees and economically disadvantaged members of the Jordanian host community, in cooperation with the Jordanian Red Crescent and related humanitarian institutions.

• 2020

  Pilot classes open for 100 Syrian refugees in Jordan[1]UniRefen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Campaign

  The Jordan project formally opened pilot classes on August 15, 2020. The planned curriculum covered information technology, agriculture and agribusiness, and health.

• 2017

  UniRef closes its representative office in Muyinga[1]UniRefen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Political restrictions and instability in Burundi forced UniRef to amend and withdraw from its initial mission, with its representative office in Muyinga closing in December 2017.

1. 1UniRefen.wikipedia.org
2. 2UniRef official websiteuniref.ch