Photo by John Ryle/Michael Oyoo

Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives

The OSUN Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives are expanding higher educational and research opportunities to areas affected by crisis and displacement. Co-led by Bard College and Arizona State University, with BRAC University and the Princeton Global History Lab as key partners, the Hubs deliver high-quality, contextualized connected learning opportunities customized to meet learner needs in places as diverse as the MENA region, Eastern Africa and Asia. All programming is learner-centered, geared toward promoting livelihood pathways, and innovative in its use of technology to support participants in low-resource settings.

What We Do

The Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives encompass three interwoven programs:

Teacher Professional Development

Professional development for in-service teachers working with displaced individuals and those in marginalized host communities—including refugee camp settings— that builds out teacher mentoring and classroom action research opportunities.
Undergraduate Opportunities

Higher education offerings in the form of a university preparatory program and interdisciplinary course clusters that result in accumulation of transferable credits, official transcripts, and OSUN certificates of completion for students who have been unable to access a bachelor’s degree.
Community-Led Research

A refugee- and host community–led research hub to support local training in qualitative and quantitative approaches and to develop locally-situated research. Research supports the Hubs’ wider advocacy efforts by raising awareness of the barriers and challenges that refugees face, as well as the Hubs’ continuous reflection on and adaptation to camp- and urban-based needs.

Our Partners

Bard College and Arizona State University lead the OSUN Hubs, while other OSUN partners play a key role in planning and program implementation, including The Rift Valley Institute, Central European University, Bard College Berlin, American University of Central Asia, American University of Bulgaria, BRAC University, and Al-Quds Bard College. Jesuit Refugee Service and Yarmouk University partner with the Hubs in Jordan, while Borderless Higher Education for Refugees and Kenyatta University are Kenya-based partners.