Exploring Barriers to Higher Education in Protracted Refugee Situations: The Case of Burmese Refugees in Thailand

Abstract

3 LIST OF ACRONYMS 4 CHAPTER 1 – HIGHER EDUCATION IN PROTRACTED REFUGEE SITUATIONS: A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS? 6 1.1. AIMS AND RATIONALE OF THE STUDY 9 1.2. METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 10 1.3. OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 13 CHAPTER 2 – TOWARD RESOLVING THE PARADOXES 15 2.1. SETTING THE SCENE: EDUCATING REFUGEES 16 2.1.1. THE EMERGING FIELD OF EMERGENCY EDUCATION 16 2.1.2. ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION ‘ON THE BASIS OF MERIT’ 17 2.1.3. THE TWO FACES OF EMERGENCY EDUCATION 20 2.2. AN EXPLORATION OF PARADOXES SURROUNDING HIGHER EDUCATION IN PROTRACTED REFUGEE SITUATIONS 22 2.2.1. FROM RELIEF TO DEVELOPMENT 27 2.2.2. HIGHER EDUCATION WITHOUT A NATION-STATE 32 2.2.3. FROM VICTIMISATION TO EMPOWERMENT 37 CHAPTER 3 – MAKING IT WORK: HIGHER EDUCATION FOR BURMESE REFUGEES IN THAILAND 44 3.1. THE PROTRACTED REFUGEE SITUATION IN THAILAND 46 3.2. EDUCATION IN THE REFUGEE CAMPS ALONG THE BORDER 50 3.2.1. REASONS FOR GROWING DEMAND FOR HIGHER EDUCATION 53 3.3. HIGHER EDUCATION ALONG THE BORDER 57 3.3.1. FROM RELIEF TO DEVELOPMENT: MOVING TOWARDS ACCREDITATION 58 3.3.2. CREATING SPACES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION TRANSCENDING NATION-STATES 64 3.3.3. EMPOWERING REFUGEES TO BECOME AGENTS OF DEVELOPMENT 71 CHAPTER 4 – CHALLENGES AND THE ROAD AHEAD 80 REFERENCES 88