Inalc'ER: a project to welcome refugee students for university purposes

Phurwatsering had been working for several months as a waiter in a restaurant. "I didn't know what to do with my life," he says. Was I going to continue this job for the rest of my life?" It was Françoise Robin, a teacher at Inalco, who - finding that he spoke French well, asked him if he wanted to study. Being admitted to Inalc'ER enabled me to quit that job," he continues. If I hadn't, I'd have stayed in that job for several more years, but I didn't really have any prospects. For me, it was complicated because I don't have a diploma in France. I was a bit lost and I found a direction in life"
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Kaysar who is a musician, composer, Oriental singer and lute player, was looking for a way to pursue his artistic project: combining literature, poetry and music. A friend who had studied at Inalco told him, "This is the place for you!"
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For Karamba, it was Christina Alexopoulos, a volunteer clinical psychologist at the hostel where he lives, who told him about it. "Until then, it had been explained to me that it was impossible to study in my situation. When I realized that I could continue my studies, I did some research on the Internet, submitted my application, attended a selection interview and was accepted. The only one admitted out of 17 candidates at the center."



To Christina Alexopoulos, a volunteer psychologist at an emergency shelter for migrants (CHUM de Bobigny), it became apparent that for some asylum seekers, the administrative wait, the lack of an immediately feasible project and the untimely break in their studies in their home country were having detrimental effects on their sense of being able to act on their lives. For people profoundly traumatized by an emergency departure from their homeland, a perilous migratory journey and precarious reception conditions, getting involved in a project like Inalc'ER is a way of repairing the wounds, frustrations and injustices of the past, transforming a burdensome present into a space for learning, reflection and creativity, and building a meaningful project for the future that gives them a place in society and rehabilitates them by giving them new possibilities for development. Her knowledge of Inalco, where she has taught for the past ten years, also convinced her of the value of this approach: a place of cultural, scientific and human exchange, Inalco embodies the plurality of origins, disciplinary approaches and mutual contributions. It's a certain relationship to otherness, approached in an inclusive way, that undoubtedly gives this refugee project its uniqueness.



Kaysar was able to become conductor of the Inalc'ER choir. "I especially thank the Inalc'ER team for opening doors for me to this great project. We weren't able to start rehearsing until March 2018, yet we managed to be ready for the concert in early June: a very successful concert given the deadline! And in 4 months, I've met a lot of teachers, students and musicians."



For Phurwatsering : "There are really cultural differences in the ways we study. In Tibet, the teachers give us all the content. In France, they force us to look for it ourselves. They give us book references and Internet links, and it's up to us to do the research. We have to do a lot of work and study.

I enjoy the courses at Inalco, even if some of them are really difficult; for example, the civilization courses because there's a lot of university vocabulary to know. I've really improved my French, and I'm discovering my country from a different angle. And above all, I love learning.

I especially appreciated the support and contact with the people in charge of the Inalc'ER program. I had a lot of questions, and from the very first month, I felt at ease because we were given clear information, I understood the program well and I knew where to turn. The people in charge are really attentive and present, which is something I wasn't expecting. This motivates me for the future"
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"I've met people from other cultures. All the Inalc'ER students get together during M Chraïbi's class (pedagogical manager of the Inalc'ER program), which is fascinating," explains Karamba. We exchange ideas, talk to each other, tell each other how things are evolving. And then, we all went on cultural outings together: to the cinema, to the BNF. We created a Whatsapp group between Inalc'ER students and now we communicate with each other. It's a good thing, because the other students don't really welcome us: they seem to be mostly interested in themselves."



Admittedly, studies are long. And what's next is still to be built, the future to be imagined and the uncertainty still very distressing for some. "It's hard, I have trouble sleeping, I've lost weight. I think a lot about my family, who are counting on me. I'm waiting for what comes next." Karamba is an asylum seeker waiting for an appointment at the CNDA. "If I get refugee status, with my studies here, I'll be able to get a diploma. A diploma is the fruit of a lot of effort. And the diploma I'm going to get, I'll have it with me everywhere."



For the Inalc'ER project is betting on enabling these students to be able to think about a future, to know that they are legitimized in their course by university studies, and to feel authorized to find a place in the community. This is confirmed by Phurwatsering : "If we're lucky enough to be able to study, we have the keys to live in France."





Synthesis of remarks collected by Elisabeth Collard from:

Kaysar ABOU ZER

Christina ALEXOPOULOS

Karamba DOUMBOUYA

Phurwatsering JAKRI



*Inalc'ER: project to host refugee students, on university objectives, supported by the AUF, the Inalco and the Fondation Inalco Langues-O



Team:

Aboubakr CHRAIBI: teaching manager
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Elisabeth COLLARD: administrative coordinator

Jean-Philippe THAMMABOUTH: incoming mobility manager