The University of Essex has been awarded the title of University of Sanctuary, in recognition of its efforts to welcome and support people seeking sanctuary.
The awards panel particularly commended the University’s scholarships for students with a sanctuary seeking background, their exceptional research on sanctuary-related matters, close links with the community and the strong commitment from the senior team.
The panel also congratulated the University on the passion of their students to drive these initiatives and make their campus and community a more welcoming and safe space.
Professor Lorna Fox O’Mahony, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Essex, said: “We are thrilled to be recognised as a University of Sanctuary. The University of Essex has a long and proud tradition of providing sanctuary for academics and students. I am especially proud of the strength of partnership work between our students and staff. The University, its staff and students, stand together to take action, in partnership with those who share our commitments to inclusion, to supporting refugees and asylum seekers, and to social action for the benefit for people and communities, as set out in our University Strategy 2019-25.”
Maggie Filipova-Rivers, Midlands and East of England Regional Coordinator of City of Sanctuary, said: “Congratulations to the University of Essex! I am thrilled to welcome Essex as an awarded member of the network of universities which is working hard to ensure inclusion and welcome for people fleeing persecution and violence. Universities are a very important part of the local institutional makeup and we look forward to working together to further our vision in the coming months and years.”
We are delighted to recognise and celebrate this work, and we look forward to working together to further our vision in the future.
You can read more about the University Essex of Essex’s sanctuary initiatives here: https://www.essex.ac.uk/about/sanctuary
The full news item is available here: https://www.essex.ac.uk/news/2020/12/17/we-are-a-university-of-sanctuary