Kiron Open Higher Education

The Solution

In an unfamiliar labor market and community, refugees are often hindered from access to the jobs and social support they need to thrive. Higher education can help refugees transcend environmental difficulties, but that poses its own challenges. Universities require a recognized status in the host country, documentation—such as a high school diploma—that is near to impossible to attain when arriving from a war-torn country, and demand sufficient language skills for enrollment. What’s more, limited capacity and high tuition fees pose yet more barriers. 

The Kiron curriculum provides online coursework and certificates to prepare students for the job market or university. Students can make informed decisions about their academic futures and move forward during a period that is often defined by waiting and uncertainty. Kiron offers language courses to assist students in meeting the language requirements needed to attend university in their host country. In addition, all of their online coursework is provided in English, a language most of their students are fluent in. Digitization has allowed Kiron to offer its innovative platform free of charge and on a global scale to all displaced persons, whether or not they hold a refugee status. Ultimately, Kiron gives refugees a concrete yet flexible tool that is a long-term asset on the road to integration.

Existing Partnerships

Kiron has partnered with several organizations and institutions, including:

• Coursera
• Open Classrooms
• Udacity
• France Universite Numerique
• Ernst & Young
• Lebanese International University
• University of Kassel
• Bard College Berlin