Birkbeck celebrates two years of the Compass Project
Birkbeck’s unique scholarship and outreach scheme for refugees and asylum seekers was celebrated in an event held for students and donors.
The College is delighted to celebrate the success of the second year of the Compass Project with an event hosted at law firm and project supporter Allen & Overy’s offices in Spitalfields, where Compass Project students were invited to reflect on their achievements.
The Compass Project was first set up in 2017 with the aim of making higher education more accessible to forced migrants who have sought sanctuary in the UK. Over the course of two years, the award-winning scheme has provided over 30 asylum seekers with the opportunity to study at Birkbeck with a sanctuary scholarship and supported them with a range of activities to help them settle into university life.
The students in the project come from a wide range of educational backgrounds and through the scheme some have begun careers in law, counselling and business. Others have gone on to further study, with a number of this year’s cohort going on to start undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at universities including King’s College London, Bristol and Royal Holloway.
Professor David Latchman, Master of Birkbeck, said:
“We are delighted to celebrate the close of the second year of the Compass Project. Birkbeck’s mission is embodied in the project and it is a pleasure to see the students as they grow in confidence and develop their skills. We hope to be able to continue to help break down the barriers to higher education for asylum seekers and other disadvantaged groups in the future."
Alongside Allen & Overy, the Compass Project is funded by the kind support of the AlixPartners' Foundation; The Blanes Trust; Texel Foundation; Travers Smith; and donations from Birkbeck alumni and friends.