On 6 November 2024, the UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Competences at Stellenbosch University in South Africa held a special event to launch a groundbreaking publication More than Welcome: Intercultural Integration of Migrants through Higher Education.
The launch, which included opening remarks from Sara Habibi, Peacebuilding Specialist, UNITAR, and a Stellenbosch University management member, featured a panel discussion of leading international experts to discuss an innovative new framework to promote the intercultural integration of migrants in and through higher education, helping to strengthen the value of migration for economic, cultural and social development.
The panel, which was chaired by UNESCO Chairholder Dr. Darla K. Deardorff, and included UNESCO Chair, Cultural Diversity and Social Justice Professor Fethi Mansouri among other esteemed panellists, explored the publication’s insights on how higher education can act as a catalyst for the intercultural integration of migrants, both within educational institutions themselves, as well as within wider host communities, Panellists discussed the role of institutions in addressing societal challenges faced by migrant learners, while fostering mutual understanding, and preparing students for global citizenship.