Day 2 | Embassy of Canada to the Republic of Korea30 July 2026 · Schofield Hall Day 2 focused on how universities can establish and sustain education pathways for refugee students. In the morning, participants heard about Canada’s university sponsorship model and the experience of International Students Overcoming War (ISOW). In the afternoon, small-group discussions explored the challenges and conditions involved in building education pathways in Korea. While Day 1 provided an overview of education pathway initiatives across different countries, Day 2 focused more specifically on what universities, students, governments, and civil society can do to make these pathways possible and sustainable.  
Day 2 of the forum was held at Schofield Hall, Embassy of Canada to the Republic of Korea. Session IV. University Sponsorship The Canadian Model and University-Led Refugee Sponsorship 09:00–11:00 Gavin Brockett, Vice Dean, Faculty of Arts and Faculty Advisor, ISOW, Wilfrid Laurier University Following his presentation on Day 1, Gavin Brockett provided a more detailed introduction to Canada’s university sponsorship model and the experience in operating ISOW. ISOW is an education pathway program that supports students affected by forced displacement to access higher education in Canada through student visas. The presentation emphasized that students themselves can be important actors in creating education pathways for refugee students. ISOW has been built on student fundraising and participation, and students have not only helped raise scholarship funds, but have also supported newly arrived students with settlement. Students also worked to raise awareness within the university community about the importance of supporting refugee students. The presentation also highlighted that university sponsorship involves much more than admission and scholarships. Preparation needs to begin before a student arrives, followed by support with airport pickup, housing, opening a bank account, academic and daily-life adjustment, building peer relationships, and preparing for future careers and employment. This provided an opportunity to reconsider education pathways as a process that prepares not only for a student’s arrival at university, but also for the life that follows. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ISOW Team International Students Overcoming War, Wilfrid Laurier University The ISOW team then introduced how the student-led program operates in practice and shared activities designed to help students better understand and engage with issues of forced displacement. The key message was that refugees should not be viewed merely through fixed images or abstract statistics, but as individuals with their own aspirations, abilities, families, and plans for the future. In addition to fundraising and settlement support for refugee students, ISOW has continued to develop educational activities that encourage members of the university community to reflect on the realities of forced displacement. The Rohingya Refugee Family Role-Play Simulation held during the session was one example of such an activity.  
The ISOW team introduced student-led refugee support initiatives and educational programs. Rohingya Refugee Family Role-Play Simulation During the morning session, the ISOW team facilitated a role-play simulation centered on the experience of a Rohingya refugee family. Participants were assigned different roles within a Rohingya family and followed a simulated journey from leaving their village, crossing a border, and eventually arriving at a refugee camp. The simulation was not intended to reproduce or replace the actual experience of being a refugee. Rather, it encouraged participants to consider the difficulties of displacement, uncertainty surrounding information, and the limited choices that families may face in situations of forced migration. Participants considered their assigned family circumstances and discussed decisions related to movement and settlement within the constraints presented to them. The activity provided an opportunity to move beyond understanding refugees’ lives as distant or abstract stories and instead to consider from the perspective of one family, what it means to make difficult choices while navigating uncertainty and instability.  
Participants followed the journey of a Rohingya family and reflected on the challenges of displacement and arrival at a refugee camp, sharing their thoughts and discussing the challenges they encountered along the way. Q&A Following the presentations, a Q&A session explored the practical challenges that may arise in establishing and sustaining an educational pathway within a university. UNLABELED asked questions about how to expand student interest, build empathy and cooperation among university members, and ensure that student-led initiatives can continue despite changes in student membership and leadership. The ISOW team emphasized the importance of finding people within the university who are willing to work together and starting with small, tangible successes. They also highlighted the importance of maintaining transparency in financial management and program operations, continuously building networks of supporters both inside and outside the university, and establishing clear handover and leadership structures so that student initiatives can continue from one generation of students to the next. For UNLABELED, these responses offered an opportunity to explore the practical questions that arise when developing a student-led education pathway within a Korean university.  
 
The ISOW team and participants exchanged questions and ideas on building sustainable education pathways. Session V. Building Education Pathways in Korea Small-Group Discussions on Developing Education Pathways in Korea 12:00–13:50 The afternoon session was moderated by Professor Jeonghyeon Kim of Chungnam National University. Participants took part in small-group discussions focused on the challenges and conditions necessary to expand access to higher education for refugee students in Korea. The groups examined different areas – including government, universities, civil society, the private sector, student support – and discussed the practical conditions and forms of cooperation needed to establish and operate education pathways. Members of UNLABELED participated as note-takers in each group and recorded the discussions. The notes collected during the session are scheduled to be organized through UNHCR’s Data Collection Tool. Listening closely to participants from different institutions and countries share their experiences emphasized an important point that education pathways in Korea cannot be built through the efforts of a single organization. They require collaboration across multiple sectors and long term cooperation among a wide range of stakeholders. Group 1. Sustainable Funding Facilitator: Won Geun Choi, Professor, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies The first group examined the costs involved at each stage of an education pathway, from preparation before arrival to living expenses, studying and settlement support. Participants discussed sustainable funding models and how governments, universities, companies, and foundations can share financial responsibilities associated with education pathways. A wide range of creative ideas were also explored, including cooperation with religion related communities and expanding work-study scholarship(근로장학제도) for refugee students within universities. The group also emphasized that, if education pathways are to move beyond one-time assistance, the cost and funding needs to be considered realistically across the entire student journey, from admission and arrival through graduation and post-graduation career development. Group 2. University Engagement Facilitator: Gavin Brockett, Wilfrid Laurier University The second group discussed the conditions necessary for Korean universities to participate in education pathways for refugee students and ways to strengthen cooperation among universities. Key issues included securing the engagement of university leadership and administrative departments and creating networks through which universities can share experiences and resources. The discussion also highlighted how student participation, as demonstrated by the ISOW model, can contribute to an institutional change. At the same time, participants emphasized the need for formal commitments and institutional support from universities themselves.  
Participants in Groups 1 and 2 exchange ideas during the discussion. Group 3. Government Policy and Coordination Facilitator: Christopher Bott, Embassy of Canada The third group examined legal and administrative challenges that may arise during the entry and stay of refugee students. Participants discussed various procedures connected to education pathways, including visas and travel documents, document verification, the ability to work while studying, and immigration status after graduation. The discussion also highlighted the need for cooperation among related government ministries, including the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education, as well as clear channels where students and universities can access the information that they need. Group 4. Community and Civil Society Facilitator: Norimasa Orii, Pathways Japan The fourth group explored ways in which refugees themselves, civil society organizations, settlement support organizations, and university communities can work together. Participants emphasized the importance of connecting students to support networks beyond the university campus so that they can continue to live safely, build relationships, and become part of their local communities after entering university.  
Participants in Groups 3 and 4 exchange ideas during the discussion. Group 5. Private Sector and Employment Facilitator: Sally Baker, Skillpath/Refugee Education Australia The fifth group discussed how the private sector can participate in education pathways and support students’ transition into their careers after graduation. Corporate scholarships, internships, mentoring, and employment opportunities were identified as important forms of support that can help students make use of their academic backgrounds and skills as they enter the workforce and contribute to society. Group 6. Student Success and Inclusion Facilitator: Jae-Ik Jang, UNHCR The sixth group examined the linguistic, academic, psychological, and cultural challenges that refugee students may experience during university life. Participants discussed the need for comprehensive support systems within universities, including academic assistance, psychosocial support, mentoring, and opportunities to build peer relationships. One important point was that refugee students should not be viewed solely as recipients of support. They should be respected as active participants who can communicate their own experiences and needs and contribute to the design of programs intended to support them.  
Participants in Groups 5 and 6 exchange ideas during the discussion. Closing Remarks 13:50–14:30 Day 2 provided an opportunity to explore the potential of student-led education pathways through Canada’s university sponsorship model, and to discuss the key challenges involved in developing such pathways in Korea. The experience of ISOW shared in the morning demonstrated how education pathways can take shape when students and universities work together. The small-group discussions in the afternoon then provided an opportunity to consider how these lessons might be adapted to the Korean context. Through the forum, UNLABELED gained a deeper understanding that an education pathway is not simply a route to university admission. It is a comprehensive process that connects funding, institutional systems, settlement, community support, and career development. The discussions of Day 2 also raised important questions about what students themselves can contribute to building these pathways. The following day, at Kangwon National University, the forum would continue from a student-centered perspective through a student-led program. We look forward to sharing the reflections and discussions from Day 3 in the next installment. |