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# What does it take to move displaced learners beyond access and into success?
- URL: https://newsletters.qs.com/what-does-it-take-to-move-displaced-learners-beyond-access-and-into-success/
- Published: 2026-08-26T06:29:34.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-26T06:29:34.000Z
- Description: QS Midweek Brief - August 26, 2026. How can universities support displaced students? And where is Mexico headed with its latest higher ed strategy?
- Author: Anton John Crace
- Tags: QS Mid Week Brief

Welcome! According to the UN Refugee Agency, there was 41.6 million refugees globally at the end of last year. This was a decrease in total numbers — the first time that has happened in at least a decade — but new conflicts as well as natural disasters threaten a new refugee crisis.

Supporting displaced students is different from supporting international students, so this week, we look back on one of the sessions from this years’ QS Higher Ed Summit: Europe to understand what institutions can do.

We also continue our coverage of Latin America in the lead up to this [year’s QS Higher Ed Summit: Americas](https://www.qs.com/conferences/americas?ref=newsletters.qs.com) in Mexico, this week covering our host country.

Stay insightful,  
Anton John Crace  
Editor in Chief, QS Insights Magazine  
QS Quacquarelli Symonds

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f1/d4/f1d411df-6f49-4c75-a302-f8c9e9f59495/content/images/2026/08/1.-Ednburgh_digital-advert_QS-One-Network-Insights.webp)](https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xQ3JP0?ref=newsletters.qs.com)

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## **Beyond access**

### **What support systems are needed to turn opportunity into success for displaced learners?**

*By Alex Best*

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f1/d4/f1d411df-6f49-4c75-a302-f8c9e9f59495/content/images/2026/08/0B0A7596.jpg_2500x1667-crop.jpg)

### In brief

- Universities must shift focus from simply admitting displaced learners to actively supporting their academic and long-term success.
- Displaced students face unique, complex obstacles like language barriers, financial hardship, and lost academic records which demand tailored assistance.
- True inclusion requires co-creating support systems directly with refugee students and taking immediate, pragmatic institutional action.

As universities work to widen participation and expand access, displaced learners remain one of the most underrepresented groups in higher education. While many institutions have made significant strides in creating pathways for refugees and asylum seekers, attention is increasingly shifting beyond admissions to a more pressing challenge: how can universities support these students to succeed once they arrive?

This challenge was the focus of *Missions Aligned: Access, Inclusion and Expanding Opportunities for Displaced Learners* at the QS Higher Ed Summit: Europe 2026 in Budapest. The session brought together experts from across the sector to explore how universities can move beyond access and create the conditions for displaced learners to succeed, reinforcing a growing understanding across the sector that enrolment is only the first step.

In a follow-up interview with *QS Insights*, Alanna Heyer, Higher Education Officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and moderator of the session, said that discussions around refugee participation often begin with access figures, but these represent "only a small portion of the whole story".

Ensuring long-term success for displaced learners, she argued, requires institutions to look beyond admissions and support learners throughout their educational journey.

### **The opportunity gap remains significant**

Despite increasing global awareness of refugee education, participation in higher education remains low. Heyer noted refugee enrolment rates of approximately 9%, a figure that highlights the scale of the challenge facing institutions worldwide.

She emphasised that expanding access can have far-reaching benefits, noting that "investing in higher education, especially in fragile countries, developing countries, has a disproportionate positive effect for those learners and communities."

For Marianne Knarud, Head of Office, Global University Academy, University of Oslo, increasing access requires a fundamental rethink of how higher education is delivered.

"We need to increase higher education opportunities for many refugees," she noted at the panel session. Achieving this, she argued, will require institutions to "rethink and reimagine how \[they\] can deliver higher education in a different way" while embracing educational innovation and breaking down silos that often slow progress.

"Talent is everywhere but opportunities are not."

### **Understanding the barriers beyond admission**

While universities frequently place inclusion at the centre of their mission and values, displaced learners often encounter obstacles that traditional students do not.

According to Ehab Badwi, Founder of the Syrian Youth Assembly, who spoke at the panel session, displaced learners often face a complex set of obstacles long before they enter a classroom. Language barriers, financial hardship and the challenge of integrating into new communities can all limit participation.

Many refugees must also navigate practical challenges, including lost academic records, limited support networks and uncertainty about their future, creating additional hurdles to accessing and succeeding in higher education.

Badwi also challenged institutions to recognise that displaced learners are not another category of international student: "There is a difference between international students and internationals with needs," he explained.

For example, many refugee students cannot return home during university breaks because of conflict or instability. Others may require additional support navigating legal, financial or personal challenges that traditional student services are not designed to address.

Heyer noted that refugee learners often face challenges simultaneously, rather than in isolated block. In addition to financial pressures and language differences, many must navigate unfamiliar education systems, gain recognition for prior qualifications and adapt to a new academic environment, sometimes while dealing with the effects of displacement or interrupted education.

Recognising these differences is essential if universities are serious about creating truly inclusive environments. As Heyer observed, supporting displaced learners requires more than providing a scholarship or access to existing services. Institutions must understand the additional and often amplified barriers refugee students face and ensure support is tailored accordingly.

### **Inclusion means designing with refugees, not for them**

One of the strongest themes from the discussion was the importance of placing displaced learners at the heart of decision-making. Badwi argued that universities must move beyond designing support *for* refugees and instead work *with* them to shape programmes, policies and student services.

He explained that institutions should consider, "How do we include refugees in designing the education system?" For Badwi, meaningful inclusion depends on ensuring displaced learners have a voice in the systems intended to support them.

Too often, initiatives are developed based on assumptions rather than lived experience. Heyer added that drawing on insights from refugee student leaders and researchers, she argued that effective support systems are shaped by the experiences of those they are intended to serve.

Universities, she said, should work directly with displaced learners to understand the challenges they face, what support they need and how services can be improved to better support their success.

"If we don't consult them, we are still ignoring the way to include those people," Badwi warned. Inclusion, according to him, cannot be achieved through access alone. It requires displaced learners to be active partners in shaping their educational experiences and the policies that affect them.

This perspective reflects a broader shift across the higher education sector from participation-focused approaches towards co-creation, where students are empowered to contribute to the design of services, support structures and institutional strategies.

For universities seeking to improve outcomes for displaced learners, listening to refugee voices is not simply good practice. It is essential to building more responsive, inclusive and effective educational environments.

### **Turning institutional values into action**

While most universities have made public commitments to widening participation and fostering inclusion, the real challenge lies in turning those values into tangible outcomes for displaced learners. Knarud acknowledged that institutional regulations, funding limitations and administrative processes can sometimes create barriers to progress. However, she argued that these constraints should not become reasons for inaction.

"Most universities have some core values about being inclusive," she noted.

The next step, she suggested, is for institutions to examine what those values mean in practice. That requires asking difficult but necessary questions: What does meaningful inclusion look like in our context? What changes are needed to better support displaced learners? Which external partners can help us expand our impact? Are there opportunities to waive tuition fees, provide scholarships or offer additional academic and pastoral support?

Speaking after the panel, Heyer pointed to several initiatives that demonstrate how institutions can turn commitments into action. These include efforts to reduce tuition costs for refugee learners, develop alternative methods of recognising prior learning when academic records have been lost, and improve the collection of data on displaced student participation. Such measures, she suggested, can help remove barriers and create more inclusive pathways into higher education.

Rather than waiting for perfect solutions, Knarud encouraged universities to focus on what is possible today. Progress often begins with small, practical actions that remove barriers and create new opportunities for students.

Her message was one of pragmatism and optimism — by adopting a proactive, problem — solving mindset and focusing on what can be achieved, institutions can make meaningful strides towards greater inclusion. As she put it, the key is identifying "how much can be done with a can-do attitude" and recognising that even incremental steps can collectively drive significant change.

### **Access alone is not enough**

As universities increasingly adopt online and hybrid learning models, technology offers new opportunities to reach displaced learners wherever they are. However, access to digital learning alone is not enough to guarantee success.

Knarud highlighted the "incredible potential" of technology to expand educational opportunities but cautioned against viewing access as the end goal. "If a course is mainly online, then what are the support mechanisms we can give?" she asked.

Heyer argued that effective support extends beyond scholarships and admissions. Institutions that successfully support displaced learners, she said, often have dedicated staff or departments focused on refugee inclusion, while ensuring services across the university are equipped to respond to the additional barriers these students may face.

"We can't just tick the access box," she added.

Instead, universities need to consider how localised support systems can be built around learners and what additional resources may be needed to help them succeed academically, socially and professionally.

### **Education as an investment in the future**

The discussion also explored the wider social and economic impact of supporting displaced learners. For Badwi, higher education is ultimately about investing in people's futures — "Education means to invest now for the future."

Universities must also help learners develop the skills needed to navigate an evolving labour market. "Skills are important," Badwi said, noting that qualifications alone are often insufficient for securing employment. As Heyer observed, "investing in higher education, especially in fragile countries, developing countries, has a disproportionate positive effect for those learners and communities."

As increasing numbers of refugees return to their home countries, either voluntarily or through changing geopolitical circumstances, education can also play a vital role in rebuilding communities and strengthening social cohesion. In one of the session's most powerful reflections, Badwi described how **"**education could be a solution for internal peace".

The sentiment serves as a reminder that universities are not simply supporting individual learners. They are contributing to stronger societies and creating opportunities that can have lasting impact far beyond the campus.

### **A collective responsibility**

The discussion both in Budapest and with Alanna Heyer emphasised that supporting displaced learners requires more than widening access to higher education. While universities play a central role, lasting progress depends on collaboration between institutions, governments, employers and civil society organisations.

The sector must continue to build partnerships, raise awareness of available opportunities and adapt to changing policy environments. Ultimately, the challenge extends beyond any single institution and demands a coordinated response.

For institutions seeking to widen participation and strengthen their social impact, the message is clear: opening doors is only the first step. True inclusion means creating the conditions for learners to thrive throughout their educational journey.

[Read the latest edition.](https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xQ1690?ref=newsletters.qs.com)

*Alex works with Content to deliver high-quality B2B website and social media content for QS. She writes and optimises on-site copy, analyses page performance to drive engagement, publishes content on QS.com and socials, and supports a range of website projects in close collaboration with colleagues across the business.*

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f1/d4/f1d411df-6f49-4c75-a302-f8c9e9f59495/content/images/2026/08/2---MCBS.webp)](https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xQ2Bl0?ref=newsletters.qs.com)

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# **Plans aplenty in Mexico**

*By Nick Harland*

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f1/d4/f1d411df-6f49-4c75-a302-f8c9e9f59495/content/images/2026/08/Plans-aplenty-in-Mexico-preview.jpg)

### In brief

- Mexico’s new national strategy aims to overhaul a massive higher education sector plagued by uneven access and quality.
- Deep regional disparities and "garage universities" persist despite record-high public trust and world-class institutional performance.
- Future growth depends on hybrid learning models and global partnerships to bridge divides and standardise academic quality.

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that, [like most other countries](https://magazine.qs.com/qs-insights-magazine-38/strategic-unity?utm%5Fcampaign=297995499-MidweekBrief2026&utm%5Fsource=email&utm%5Fmedium=GHOST&utm%5Fcontent=105%20MWB), Mexico likes to publish higher education strategies. These have included the *Programa Sectorial de Educación* in 2020, the *Programa Nacional de Educación Superior* (PRONES)in 2023, and, published earlier this year, the latest PRONES, this time covering the period 2026-2030.

However, there are signs that this PRONES may finally offer some of the solutions that the country has been searching for.

By one count, Mexico has one of the largest higher education sectors in the world. There are an estimated 4,300 higher education institutions in the country — a figure roughly equivalent to the number in the United States. But while the United States has around [19 million](https://educationdata.org/college-enrollment-statistics?ref=newsletters.qs.com) young people enrolled in higher education, Mexico has just [5.5 million](https://static.daad.de/media/daad%5Fde/pdfs%5Fnicht%5Fbarrierefrei/infos-services-fuer-hochschulen/expertise-zu-themen-laendern-regionen/kurzsachstaende/mexico%5Fdaad%5Freport%5Fshort.pdf?ref=newsletters.qs.com).

This misalignment speaks to Mexico’s persistent challenges in higher education: lagging enrolment rates, lack of access and a lack of quality control.

Firstly, quality control. Although on the face of things, Mexico has a similar number of higher education institutions to the US, the quality of many of those schools leaves a lot to be desired. That’s partly down to the huge growth of private universities in the country, which now make up the majority of all institutions.

This has come about as a result of increasing student demand, a lack of investment in the public sector and a lack of places at low-cost public schools.

"Public higher education is very low cost, almost free. You can attend a public school for around $300 per semester," explains David Garza, President of the Tecnológico de Monterrey Education Group. The group of universities he presides over covers 31 campuses across 25 cities and includes some of the country’s top-ranked institutions.

"But in the private sector, they can be up to $9,000\. The \[lack of\] funding is mainly affecting the public system, and the effect is not enough places for students. There are also students who can't attend a private university because of location and/or finances."

Another issue is that of so-called “garage universities”: a Latin American phenomenon of tiny universities often operating out of commercial properties akin to garages. They have sprouted up in recent years to meet surging demand across the country, but their educational quality is often called into question.

"The growth of the private sector has been good in catering to the increased demand but has been bad in terms of the disproportionate quality,” says Garza. One of the key aims of PRONES is to regulate the quality of both public and private universities to ensure students are getting the same quality education whether they study at a *garaje* or in Tec de Monterrey.

Another challenge is enrolment. At 45%, the current enrolment rate among young people is below the average of [59% across Latin America](https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/number-students-higher-education-more-doubled-20-years-inequalities-remain?ref=newsletters.qs.com). However, that number masks regional inequalities. Mexico is a huge country, and the figure is distorted by the northern states such as Mexico City, Nuevo León and Sinaloa, where enrolment rates already [exceed the stated national target of 55%.](https://educacionsuperior.sep.gob.mx/sites/default/files/2026-04/PRONES%202026-2030%5F0.pdf?ref=newsletters.qs.com) Down south, however, it’s a different story.

"In the northern states of the country, the access rate is almost double that of the southern states,” says Garza. "Even though in the past two decades, we have almost doubled the number of people that enrol in higher education, the gap \[between regions\] is still big.”

And the numbers outlined in the PRONES report add weight to his argument. In Guerrero and Oaxaca, enrolment rates are less than 25%. In Chiapas, they dip below 20%.

PRONES makes a specific point of addressing these regional inequalities — and one possible solution outlined in the report is a renewed focus on hybrid and remote programmes. In a vast country which has long had a significant north/south divide, an initiative like this may help to level the playing field.

"The growth that we've been having — and perhaps the growth we will be having — has had to do with flexible teaching models; hybrid, online,” says Garza. “That's where the growth has been for the past 6-7 years, and it seems it will be towards the future."

Despite the challenges facing the country, Mexican higher education still has plenty to shout about. According to [one study](https://www.eleconomista.com.mx/politica/Universidades-y-Ejercito-las-instituciones-en-las-que-mas-confian-los-mexicanos-20221022-0010.html?ref=newsletters.qs.com), universities are the most-trusted public institution in Mexico, with around 7 in 10 Mexicans having confidence in them. It is one of the highest levels of trust in the world, only bettered by some northern European nations and India. It means that any designs on future growth are unlikely to be held back by public perception.

Though trust in universities remains high, their perceived value may be slipping for some. According to Garza, the earnings gap between graduates and non-graduates was previously around 4:1\. "The gap is still there, and it's still significant, but it has been closing in the past six years,” he says.

[Read the full article online.](https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xP%5Flq0?ref=newsletters.qs.com)

*Nick Harland is a freelance copywriter, writer and founder of Big Bang Copy. As a freelancer, he has written content for Specsavers, Numan, Ricoh, Hearst and many more. He specialises in education, healthcare and music, but has written about everything from financial services to luxury travel. In 2021, he founded the copywriting agency Big Bang Copy. He works with a small network of freelancers on bigger copywriting projects such as website rewrites or marketing campaigns.*

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f1/d4/f1d411df-6f49-4c75-a302-f8c9e9f59495/content/images/2026/08/3.-UQU.webp)](https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xQ3SM0?ref=newsletters.qs.com)