UEA is a University of Sanctuary, an accreditation given to universities that show an ongoing commitment to creating a welcoming culture of inclusivity and awareness.
UEA is proud to welcome people seeking sanctuary (asylum seekers and refugees) into their community, recognising the wealth of experience and knowledge they bring.
The UEA University of Sanctuary initiative is run by a university wide steering group, consisting of over 40 members of staff and students. The initiative is led by Sophie North, Lecturer in Health Sciences, and supported by Madeleine Dutton, the Sanctuary Liaison Officer.
The University of Sanctuary initiative grew out of the City of Sanctuary movement. City of Sanctuary is a non-governmental movement which promotes action to foster greater inclusion and integration in the UK, with a key focus on supporting refugees and asylum seekers.
It holds the vision that ‘our nations will be welcoming places of safety for all and proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution’. Succeeding in this vision requires us to promote greater understanding and recognition of the ways in which people seeking sanctuary enrich society.
The Universities of Sanctuary initiative currently engages with sanctuary seekers in multiple activities, including learning and teaching, student support, delivery of events such as UEA Refugee week, research projects, partnerships with community organisations and through the UEA scholarship programme.
UEA Sanctuary Scholarship programme
UEA is committed to helping reduce the barriers to participation in higher education faced by those seeking asylum in the UK. We are pleased to offer the following scholarships.
University of Sanctuary Scholarship
Learn more about our work
Our dedicated website covers all aspects of our work.
UEA University of Sanctuary website
Contact us
If you have any queries or would like to contact the team, please use our general enquiries form.