Integration through Internships
In the spring, WU invited applications for its second round of internships for refugees. People who have been granted asylum in Austria and who have begun or completed a university education in their home countries were eligible to apply.
Eight applicants (seven from Syria and one from Somalia) were selected for the internship positions and spent three months at WU. Depending on their previous education and field, the interns were assigned to work on a variety of projects. A Syrian law student, for example, worked on translating Austrian tenancy laws into Arabic at the Business Law Group, a Somalian IT specialist supported researchers at the Institute for Economic Geography and GIScience in creating a database for a project on pricing systems for express delivery services, and a Syrian business administration student worked at the Institute for Interactive Marketing and Social Media coding advertisements for their research.
The refugees’ experiences at WU were beneficial not only for their language skills, but also for their self-esteem. It was especially positive for them not to be seen solely as refugees, and to be given work that they were qualified to do. We are pleased that a number of our former interns have already gotten off to a good start on the job market or have taken up their university studies again. One of our interns, for example, studied business administration in Syria and has now started his own business selling candy. Another one has opted to continue her degree program in interpretation, and one young woman who studied law in her home country is working as a volunteer in the field of law and plans to have her Syrian degree nostrified to be able to practice law in Vienna.
New Life for Old Computers
WU donated 20 computers that were no longer in use but still in working order to the Ute Bock Refugee Project. The charitable organization will use the donated computers to equip their educational center, allowing them to provide German classes and professional qualification measures.
Talents for Austria at WU
“Talente für Österreich” is a special project for unaccompanied minor refugees, and an excellent example of successful integration. The initiative has provided boarding school places for 75 young people in Leoben and Niklasdorf, giving them the opportunity to attend school and learn the skills they need to start an apprenticeship. In addition to facilitating the refugees’ integration into Austrian society, the project also supplies companies in rural areas with desperately needed apprentices.
A group of 15 of these highly motivated young people visited WU in late August. After a tour of Campus WU, the group attended informational lectures about the MORE Initiative, which allows refugees to take university courses, and about the apprenticeship and training programs available to refugees with asylum status from the Public Employment Service Austria (AMS).