Sanctuary at Kent
The University of Kent is working to be a safe and welcoming place for refugees, asylum seekers, and others who are displaced or forced to migrate. Help us make a real difference to students seeking sanctuary.
We are proud to announce that we have been awarded ‘University of Sanctuary’ status in recognition and celebration of our values and the work we do to exemplify a commitment to welcome people seeking sanctuary.
The Sanctuary Award means Kent joins a list of other prestigious Universities of Sanctuary – including our partners through the Eastern Arc research consortium whose upcoming conference will focus on themes related to migration and movement.
Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura, Acting Vice Chancellor at Kent said: ‘We are honoured by this award and proud to be part of a movement that stands for compassion, dignity, and inclusion. As a university, we are committed to creating a place of safety and belonging for all."
Photos from when the Sanctuary Awards team visited Kent, where the panel learnt about the various initiatives, scholars and local partnerships that we have been supporting.
Find out how we are celebrating Refugee Week, with a performance from Projekt Encounter and a look at the recent series of workshops for students from Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN).
Join us at the Canterbury Cathedral to celebrate the power of community with of number of events throughout the week.
After graduating from Kent Law School in 1999, Sian Summers-Rees has worked with refugees and asylum seekers and in her current role as Chief Officer for City of Sanctuary UK. She champions cities and institutions to become places of welcome and inclusion for those seeking refuge.
We invite residents from Napier Barracks to campus, providing information on accessing higher education, as well as enjoying activities together such as gardening and sports.
We work with CARA (Council for At Risk Academics), who provide urgently-needed help to academics in immediate danger.
The Sanctuary Collective is a group of volunteers from across the University who seek to use their varied skills and work together to make a practical difference.
Student Action for Refugees society is a student-led organisation that advocates for refugee rights and seeks to welcome refugees and asylum seekers on campus.
A fee waiver and maintenance grant allows some refugees and asylum seekers the opportunity to receive a University of Kent education.
Staff and students have been involved in delivering legal information workshops to asylum seekers.
Together with Sussex, Essex, and East Anglia, we are collaborating on joint research projects, events and ideas to bring our communities together.
We collaborate with Kherson State University in Ukraine to support an institution deeply impacted by the ongoing war.
Would you like to collaborate on our Sanctuary initiatives? Email us to work together, or give us feedback at engagement@kent.ac.uk.
We work with businesses and charitable organisations in the area help us to unite our voices and resources to work towards greater social justice.
Student Refugee Week, from the 17th-21st March is an opportunity for students to galvanise and engage with the issues during term time and immerse themselves in stories of lived experience.
Actors for Human Rights (AFHR) bring Ice and Fire to Kent to perform ‘Asylum Monologues’; first-hand accounts of the people who have experienced the UK’s asylum system.
A free community engagement programme for refugees, asylum seekers, and first-generation migrants in Kent, returning for a second year at the University of Kent.
The Kent Refugee Action Network Oral History Archive at the Templeman Library launched in celebration of the twenty year anniversary of KRAN. Extracts will be made available online.
Get inspired by Makomborero Haruzivishe, a Zimbabwean refugee, who is a Sanctuary scholar studying law and politics at Kent.
The workshops and performance centred around the theme of change, navigating multiple languages and cultures. Theatre-makers and Kent alumni, Francisca Stangel & Tom Tegento, led this project with support from the School of Arts’ staff and students.
In the words of Sanctuary Scholar graduate Ky, 'By donating, you’re not just funding education; you’re nurturing resilience, ambition, and hope. You’re empowering someone to grow into a person who, in turn, will help others in need, creating a ripple effect of positive change. Your generosity doesn’t just change one life; it inspires countless others to dream, achieve, and give back'.
Anonymous
Emeritus Professor John Baldock
Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust
Craig Reader
Hardy Family Foundation
Mrs Elisabeth Hirons
Professor Janet Montefiore
Stagecoach Southeast
Walker Construction Charitable Trust
Peter Willis
And everyone who has ever made a gift to Kent Sanctuary Fund.
These young people have already experienced more challenges than most of us could even imagine. Supporting them to pursue their ambitions and talents in higher education is a privilege.'
