Semhar Okbazion, Assistant Director of the Office of International Services at the Center for Global Engagement and Program Director of the Henrietta Selle Tiri Scholarship, presented a talk on increasing access to U.S. higher education for refugee and displaced students at the NAFSA: Association of International Educators Regional Conference held in November in Pittsburgh, Pa.

As a former asylee herself, Semhar is passionate about this topic and engages with refugee and displaced students and young professionals in her spare time, helping them locate global study and postdoctoral opportunities. According to UNHCR data, global tertiary education is at about 40%, while only 6% of refugee and displaced students have access to higher education.

Semhar presented on this topic at the national NAFSA conference in June and the session was well received by the higher education institutions in attendance at the conference. Semhar wants to increase awareness on the issue and encourage U.S. universities to find ways to make their degree programs and classrooms more accessible to refugee and displaced students.