WUSC Student Refugee Program

Who is WUSC?

The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people, bringing together a diverse network of students, volunteers, schools, governments, and businesses who share this vision. WUSC is dedicated to improving education, economic opportunities, and empowerment opportunities for youth around the world. Founded in the 1920s, WUSC has grown into a global development organization working in over 15 countries.

What is the SRP Program?

One of WUSC’s key initiatives is the Student Refugee Program (SRP), which uniquely combines refugee resettlement with opportunities for higher education. Since 1978, WUSC’s Student Refugee Program has worked with UNHCR, IRCC, and IOM to resettle over 2,500 refugee youth to Canada to study in safe and supportive environments. This program is the only one of its kind to combine opportunities for resettlement and higher education to refugees in a peer-to-peer refugee integration model, where student-led Local Committees provide direct support to incoming students.

For a minimum of 12 months, Local Committees and their partners on campus provide social, academic, and financial support to the student(s) they are sponsoring. They develop a settlement plan and budget, show the student how to navigate their new campus and community, and often form lasting friendships in the process.

Each year, over 150 refugee students arrive in Canada through the SRP program. Students are then placed into Canadian campuses and communities with the help of WUSC Local Committees, which are active in over 100 universities, colleges, and CEGEP campuses across the country. More than 90% of WUSC scholars complete their education and go on to become influential members of Canadian Society.

NUGSS’s Role in WUSC Programs/Initiatives

At UNBC, NUGSS proudly manages the SRP coordination and provides comprehensive assistance and guidance to SRP scholars to support them with integration into Canada & UNBC.

In addition to supporting the integration process of refugee students, the WUSC SLO engages in public outreach to deepen Canadians' understanding and raise awareness about forced migration and access to higher education to build more welcoming communities in Canada. They collaborate with partners on campus and in other WUSC Local Committees across the country to organize creative events around key dates and WUSC initiatives (such as World Refugee Day, #HerFuture, and HIRE initiative) to engage their communities on migration issues. Through different partnerships, we help create a welcoming and inclusive environment, enriching the campus community and empowering refugee youth to build a brighter future.