168
I. I. Berchin et al.
• Developing a vocational training program to rehabilitate refugees to the labor
market;
• Promoting social activities on the campus to improve the social life of refugees
and engage students with extracurricular activities;
• Offering technical support to assist refugees in the bureaucratic processes;
• Encouraging Local and International Networks to Promote Aid and Resources.
Universities must encourage a deeper engagement of students in initiatives to
support refugees. These institutions must raise critical thinking and awareness among
students, supporting transdisciplinary learning that emancipates them to use their
knowledge background to promote sustainable development. Besides the integration
of refugees in universities, courses and activities, these institutions must provide
opportunities for refugees to integrate the job market.
Future studies could explore more cases of university programs on refugees, investigating the structure of these programs to fully understand the potential of universities to promote the development of refugees’ capacities and inclusion in refuge
countries.
Acknowledgements This study was conducted by the Centre for Sustainable Development
(Greens), from the University of Southern Santa Catarina (Unisul), in the context of the project
BRIDGE—Building Resilience in a Dynamic Global Economy: Complexity across scales in the
Brazilian Food-Water-Energy Nexus; funded by the Newton Fund, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa
e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de
Nível superior (CAPES), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)
and the Research Councils United Kingdom (RCUK).
References
Aktas CB (2015) Reflections on interdisciplinary sustainability research with undergraduate
students. Int J Sustain Higher Educ 16:354–366. http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE11-2013-0153
Bardin L (2011) Content analysis. São Paulo: Edições 70:279. ISBN: 978-8562938047
Berchin II, Valduga IB, Garcia J, de Andrade JBSO (2017) Climate change and forced migrations:
an effort towards recognizing climate refugees. Geoforum 84:147–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.geoforum.2017.06.022
Berchin II, Sima M, de Lima MA, Biesel S, dos Santos LP, Ferreira RV, de Andrade JBSO, Ceci
F (2018) The importance of international conferences on sustainable development as higher
education institutions’ strategies to promote sustainability: a case study in Brazil. J Clean Prod
171:756–772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.10.042
Berchin II, de Amorim WS, Valduga IB, Heerdt ML, de Andrade JBSO (2020) Sustainable campuses
as living labs for sustainable development: an overview of a Brazilian Community University. In:
Universities as living labs for sustainable development. Springer, Cham, pp 87–102. https://doi.
org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_6
Crea TM (2016) Refugee higher education: contextual challenges and implications for program
design, delivery, and accompaniment. Int J Educ Develop 46:12–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ije
dudev.2015.11.005
I. I. Berchin et al.
• Developing a vocational training program to rehabilitate refugees to the labor
market;
• Promoting social activities on the campus to improve the social life of refugees
and engage students with extracurricular activities;
• Offering technical support to assist refugees in the bureaucratic processes;
• Encouraging Local and International Networks to Promote Aid and Resources.
Universities must encourage a deeper engagement of students in initiatives to
support refugees. These institutions must raise critical thinking and awareness among
students, supporting transdisciplinary learning that emancipates them to use their
knowledge background to promote sustainable development. Besides the integration
of refugees in universities, courses and activities, these institutions must provide
opportunities for refugees to integrate the job market.
Future studies could explore more cases of university programs on refugees, investigating the structure of these programs to fully understand the potential of universities to promote the development of refugees’ capacities and inclusion in refuge
countries.
Acknowledgements This study was conducted by the Centre for Sustainable Development
(Greens), from the University of Southern Santa Catarina (Unisul), in the context of the project
BRIDGE—Building Resilience in a Dynamic Global Economy: Complexity across scales in the
Brazilian Food-Water-Energy Nexus; funded by the Newton Fund, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa
e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de
Nível superior (CAPES), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)
and the Research Councils United Kingdom (RCUK).
References
Aktas CB (2015) Reflections on interdisciplinary sustainability research with undergraduate
students. Int J Sustain Higher Educ 16:354–366. http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE11-2013-0153
Bardin L (2011) Content analysis. São Paulo: Edições 70:279. ISBN: 978-8562938047
Berchin II, Valduga IB, Garcia J, de Andrade JBSO (2017) Climate change and forced migrations:
an effort towards recognizing climate refugees. Geoforum 84:147–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.geoforum.2017.06.022
Berchin II, Sima M, de Lima MA, Biesel S, dos Santos LP, Ferreira RV, de Andrade JBSO, Ceci
F (2018) The importance of international conferences on sustainable development as higher
education institutions’ strategies to promote sustainability: a case study in Brazil. J Clean Prod
171:756–772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.10.042
Berchin II, de Amorim WS, Valduga IB, Heerdt ML, de Andrade JBSO (2020) Sustainable campuses
as living labs for sustainable development: an overview of a Brazilian Community University. In:
Universities as living labs for sustainable development. Springer, Cham, pp 87–102. https://doi.
org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_6
Crea TM (2016) Refugee higher education: contextual challenges and implications for program
design, delivery, and accompaniment. Int J Educ Develop 46:12–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ije
dudev.2015.11.005