Gonville & Caius College students Poppy Frutos-Morris (Music 2024) and Felix Waters (English 2024) hosted an engaging talk about welcoming refugees and belonging last week.

Dr Lina Fadel, an Associate Professor at Heriot Watt University, was invited to speak in the Bateman Auditorium. Her research is focused on “the (re)construction of identity and home-making among members of ethnic and peripheral groups, with a particular focus on the Syrian diaspora”. She is also a poetry editor for The Other Side of Hope – a migrant-led literary magazine which publishes poetry, fiction and non-fiction on the theme of migration.

Dr Fadel’s talk, entitled On Asylum, Memory and the Meaning of Sanctuary was well attended by Caians and students from the wider University of Cambridge. She shared her personal journey on seeking asylum in the UK as a student here when civil war broke out in her homeland (Syria), as well as some of the work she does now (both as an academic and a speaker). Her talk also discussed the importance of Cambridge becoming a University of Sanctuary, and what that should entail.

Both Poppy and Felix are members of STAR (Student Action for Refugees), a national network of students building a more understanding and just society where refugees are welcomed and can thrive in the UK. They are working on initiatives such as this talk within Caius to help the college move towards gaining College of Sanctuary status.

Poppy said: “We are incredibly grateful for Lina’s bravery in recounting her refugee journey for the first time to us and fellow students. She delivered a very powerful message on the need for people to reconsider what ‘refugeedom’ looks like and the harm that our assumptions may cause, as no two people will share the same story but all are equally valid and deserve a space to be heard. It was also great to hear her stress the unique position that universities can play in ‘shaping cultures of welcome’.”

The University of Cambridge in February 2024 signed a pledge to become a University of Sanctuary. This is a university-wide commitment to providing a safe and welcoming space for people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds, with individual colleges encouraged to show their support. Educational talks from inspiring speakers like Dr Fadel demonstrate Caius’ efforts to fulfil the ‘learn’ and ‘share’ principles outlined by City of Sanctuary, as well as informing students the importance of becoming a University of Sanctuary, Poppy says.

Universities of Sanctuary is a partnership between City of Sanctuary, Article 26, Student Action for Refugees and others. Their aim is to develop a culture and a practice of welcome within institutions, the wider community, and across the Higher Education sector in the UK.