What is Refugee Education Australia?
Refugee Education Australia (REA) is a group of people from the community, higher education, vocational education, and school sectors who have an interest in supporting educational opportunities for students from refugee backgrounds. It is an Australian network with members from the community, higher education, vocational education, and school sectors who are keen to support educational opportunities for students from refugee backgrounds. Established in 2024, REA is a not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee. REA is managed by a Board and steering committee that includes people from a range of universities, tertiary colleges, schools, and student representatives in Australia.
REA emerged from a recognised need for a coordinated approach to advocacy and networking to support the access and engagement of students from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds in post-compulsory and higher education across Australia. It originated from a special interest group at the Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Australasia (EPHEA) and a national symposium at the University of Newcastle, both held in November 2015, as well as regular national teleconferences exploring education pathways for young people seeking asylum and young refugees on TPVs and SHEVs hosted by the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN Australia) and the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) since November 2015.
REA aims to work with refugee communities, government departments, settlement agencies, and education providers to support people with lived experience of forced migration to access, participate, and succeed in education, from early childhood to higher education. REA has three key areas of work:
- Encouraging collective networking and collaboration across education and community sectors at local, national, and international levels.
- Sharing information, resources, and good practices freely.
- Advocating for better educational opportunities and outcomes for students from refugee, refugee-like, and other forced migration backgrounds.
Goals and Objectives
- Work with refugee, community and education communities to support people with lived experience of forced migration to access, participate, and succeed in education in Australia, from early childhood to higher education.
- Create a national network of people and organisations to support people with lived experience of forced migration to access, participate, and succeed in education.
- Foster awareness in the education sector of issues relating to the experiences of people who have experienced forced migration through training, workshops and sharing of educational resources and good practices.
- Fundraise to provide educational assistance and bursaries for educational study for people with lived experience of forced migration.
- Advocate with and for people with lived experience of forced migration to participate in education in Australia.
Our Board and Steering Committee
As a not-for-profit public company, the work of Refugee Education Australia is guided by five Board Directors and five steering committee members. Our Board of Directors and steering committee members comprise experienced educators, academics, community leaders, and change makers. Importantly half of our Board and steering committee have a lived experience of forced migration and know firsthand the challenges and opportunities that face students from a forced migration background.
Sidiqa Faqihi, Co-Chair
Sidiqa Faqihi is a passionate Refugee Ambassador, dedicated to sharing the powerful stories of people with lived experiences of displacement. Through her advocacy, she shines a light on the challenges they face and their incredible contributions to Australian society. As a Program Officer with the Community Engagement and Partnerships team at Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA), Sidiqa inspires everyday Australians to become part of the solution, encouraging community-led sponsorship as a meaningful, compassionate response to the global refugee crisis. With a strong background in supporting refugee access to education in host countries, Sidiqa brings this deep knowledge and commitment to her role as Co-Chair of Refugee Education Australia, believing that education is not just a pathway to success but a powerful tool for hope, dignity, belonging and lasting change.
Snjezana Bilic, Treasurer
Dr Snjezana Bilic is a sociologist and a senior lecturer at the University of South Australia. Snjezana’s research is grounded in social justice initiatives and equitable access to higher education for all students. Snjezana’s lived experience as a refugee informs her research interests and support for initiatives that include and make more visible the perspectives of refugees and asylum seekers at university and in wider society. Snjezana is the secretary of Refugee Education Australia.
Steph Cousins, Board member
Steph Cousins is a nonprofit leader and founder of Skill Path Australia, an organisation that supports refugees to access higher education, training, and professional recognition in Australia. Skill Path administers the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway, a program in partnership with Australian universities that enables refugees to migrate to Australia for higher education. Prior to founding Skill Path, Steph was the Global CEO of Talent Beyond Boundaries, an organisation that makes it possible for refugees to migrate for work with dignity and purpose. She has held leadership positions at Amnesty International Australia, Oxfam Australia, Oxfam International and has 20 years of experience working on refugee and humanitarian issues.
John Tran, Steering committee member
John Tran has worked in various roles supporting students in the higher education sector, and is a strong advocate for refugees and asylum seekers, drawing from his own lived experience as a former refugee. He has held roles as a data analyst and program evaluator. He contributes to Refugee Education Australia as a steering committee member and volunteers in website development, technology support, and volunteer coordination. John is passionate about creating opportunities for refugee resettlement and ensuring they receive the support they need upon arrival in their new country. He actively works to improve access to education and retraining programs, recognising the determination of refugees to contribute to their new communities and rebuild their lives.
Would you like further information?
If you are interested in making further enquiries please get in touch with us at contactus@refugee-education.org
For updates on our work, please follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/refugee-education-australia