- Immigrant Times
- Jan 8
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 13
Heidelberg’s universities equip refugees with academic skills and freedom of thought
The two universities in Heidelberg enable refugees to access education and academic training, an approach known as ‘Education instead of Deportation’.
By The Immigrant Times
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) promotes the potential of refugees who are eligible to study and enables them to enrol at German universities. To this end, it is working with universities to implement programmes and measures to support the integration of refugees at German universities. (Photo and caption Dörthe Hagenguth/DAAD)
January 2026: As local authorities across Germany face growing financial pressure, sustaining long-term ‘welcome’ and integration programmes has become increasingly difficult. In this context, universities remain comparatively stable actors in supporting refugees, not only because of their institutional continuity, but also because of their international orientation and experience in facilitating cross-border mobility, recognition of qualifications, and access to education.
Heidelberg offers a revealing case study. Home to two internationally oriented higher education institutions with distinct profiles, the city illustrates how universities have developed enduring forms of support for refugees, in many cases well before recent geopolitical crises brought forced displacement back to the centre of public debate. Importantly, these initiatives are not limited to enrolled international students but are designed to support refugees and asylum seekers more broadly, including those still navigating uncertain legal and educational pathways.
Heidelberg University prepares refugees for an academic life
Heidelberg University (Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg), founded in 1386, is one of Europe’s most established research universities and has long attracted students and scholars from around the world. Its international profile has shaped institutional experience in dealing with multilingualism, recognition of prior learning, and academic integration, all of which are highly relevant when working with refugees. *
Over recent years, the university has developed a range of initiatives aimed at facilitating access to higher education for people with a refugee background. These include preparatory language courses, orientation programmes explaining the German higher education system, and advisory services addressing admission procedures, credential recognition, and residence-related questions. Many of these offers are intentionally low-threshold, acknowledging that refugees’ educational biographies are often interrupted and that formal documentation may be incomplete or unavailable.
In addition to student-focused programmes, Heidelberg University has been involved in supporting academics at risk. Through cooperation with international protection networks and funding schemes, the university has hosted scholars from conflict-affected regions for temporary research stays or guest appointments. Such initiatives combine humanitarian responsibility with the preservation of academic expertise and underline the role universities can play in providing academic refuge and intellectual continuity.
A defining feature of Heidelberg University’s approach is its emphasis on continuity. Rather than treating refugee support as a short-term response to specific crises, the university has embedded many of its initiatives within broader strategies of internationalisation and diversity. While individual projects may be time-limited or externally funded, the overall institutional commitment has remained intact.
* In 2024/25, some 6,300 international students enrolled at Heidelberg University (20% of its headcount), while 330 international students were awarded doctorates (29% of the total).
Heidelberg University of Education offers refugees the skills for a career in teaching
A different, more practice-oriented model can be found at Heidelberg University of Education (Pädagogische Universität Heidelberg). With its focus on teacher training and educational sciences, the institution operates close to the realities of schools, language acquisition, and social integration.
In recent years, the university has developed programmes designed to support refugees interested in educational and pedagogical professions. These range from qualification courses for those with prior teaching experience to preparatory pathways for refugees considering studies in education. Some initiatives also involve placing participants in schools or educational projects, where they can gain practical experience while contributing linguistic and intercultural skills.
This approach has a dual effect. Refugees gain concrete professional perspectives, while educational institutions benefit from staff and trainees who bring multilingual abilities and lived experience of migration. The programmes are thus not only about access to higher education, but about strengthening educational systems more broadly.
At Heidelberg University of Education, many of these initiatives are open not only to formally enrolled students but also to individuals at an exploratory stage, reflecting an understanding that integration into education is often a gradual process.
Cooperation across Europe
The work of Heidelberg’s universities does not take place in isolation. Both institutions are embedded in national and European networks concerned with supporting refugees and scholars at risk. These include EU-level cooperation frameworks, inter-university exchange formats, and international protection networks within the academic community.
Such cooperation allows universities to share expertise, develop common standards, and respond more effectively when new needs arise. It also highlights a broader trend: Universities are increasingly assuming roles that extend beyond traditional teaching and research. In doing so, they form part of a transnational infrastructure that supports protection, qualification, and participation, often independently of short-term political priorities.
Education instead of deportation
The Heidelberg case underlines the particular position universities occupy in refugee support. Their programmes are often more long-term than many municipal initiatives and are strengthened by institutional continuity and international networks. Crucially, this work is not simply about serving enrolled international students; it offers wider education and qualification routes for people with a refugee background.
Universities, however, operate in a different environment from local authorities: they are generally less dependent on party politics and day-to-day voter sentiment, while municipalities must often justify spending amid competing local needs and are also responsible for major cost drivers such as accommodation, basic provision, and public safety.
Ultimately, the work of Heidelberg’s universities can also be understood as a broader benefit to society. Initiatives that enable refugees to access education and academic training follow a principle described as ‘Education instead of Deportation’, an approach that preserves knowledge rather than wasting it. Many refugees bring with them academic qualifications, professional experience, and transnational perspectives that are of genuine value to research and teaching.
In this sense, the relationship is not one-sided. Universities themselves benefit from the knowledge, languages, and insights of those they support. Education here is not merely a humanitarian gesture, but a long-term societal investment.
Sources
• University of Heidelberg: refugee support initiatives, International Office, programmes for scholars at risk
• Heidelberg University of Education: integration and refugee-related education projects
• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD): refugee and scholar protection programmes
• Scholars at Risk network
• EU higher education cooperation frameworks (e.g. Erasmus+)
Editor’s note
This article is the first in a loose series examining how universities across Europe support refugees in accessing education and academic life. While approaches differ from country to country, higher education institutions increasingly play a role in opening long-term pathways to learning, qualification, and intellectual participation. Feel free to suggest a university.
Further reading: Teaching and training for refugees in Europe || Teaching and training for refugees in Germany ||
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