Supporting “Offener Hörsaal”.

The “Offener Hörsaal” (Open Lecture Auditorium) student association helps refugees like Mehmet (35) to access university education. In Iran, Mehmet was well on his way to becoming a doctor but had to flee the country for political reasons six months before completing his medical studies. The “Offener Hörsaal” project enabled him to attend classes as an auditor and to complete a German course at the Language Center. He was accompanied by “buddies”, volunteers studying the same combination of subjects.

When he came to the University of Basel, Mehmet discovered a love of chemistry, but had to overcome many obstacles before he could join a regular study program. He had to complete a Matura equivalence test because his Iranian educational qualifications were only partially recognized. He could not afford the expensive preparatory courses, so “Offener Hörsaal” put him in touch with student volunteers who helped him study for the test. Mehmet began his bachelor’s program in chemistry in fall 2018.

Volunteers from “Offener Hörsaal” help introduce people to the University of Basel via the auditor program and to make contact with students. They also help them to register for study programs and find grants and scholarships. So far, almost 70 refugees have attended classes as auditors and taken part in German courses at the Language Center.

Yet, only seven students have entered a regular study program so far. The greatest obstacle is usually that non-Swiss educational qualifications are not recognized by the university. “Offener Hörsaal” also relies on financial support in its fight for equal opportunities. It hopes that donations from University of Basel alumni will enable even more refugees to join study programs in the future.