Organizational Structure

The Research Committee was hosted by BHER Project members at the University of British Columbia.  Faculty and student researchers at UBC held quarterly meetings in the early years of the BHER project with interested member of the project. Please also see Research on the BHER website for a listing of some of Research by and about the BHER project

Borderless Higher Education for Refugees: Building Primary/Secondary Teaching Capacities in the Dadaab Refugee Camps and Locally in Dadaab, Kenya by Increasing Access to Higher Education

Project Number: S065668 

Terms of Reference

Research and Knowledge Mobilization Committee

Updated October 2, 2013

Introduction

The Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) project is a development initiative funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) of the Government of Canada. It delivers higher education to refugees and local populations in Dadaab, in north-eastern Kenya. The BHER initiative is implemented through a multi-institutional collaboration of various entities (the “BHER Consortium”). The BHER Consortium includes: In Canada: York University (YU), the University of British Columbia (UBC), and the World University Service of Canada (WUSC); In Kenya: Kenyatta University (KU), Moi University (MU), the African Virtual University (AVU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (Dadaab), and Windle Trust Kenya (WTK). The initiative is also open to volunteer contributions from other individual researchers and practitioners who are not affiliated with one of the partner institutions.

Purpose

The goal of Research and Knowledge Mobilization Committee (RKMC) is to advance the research agenda of the BHER project and lead communication on its progress and outcomes. The RKMC is concerned with both academic and policy related research and dissemination of knowledge. The committee develops policies and promotes excellence and collaboration in research across the BHER partnership. In addition, the RKMC encourages new research and shares information about opportunities for publication, funding, conference presentations, and newly published articles in related fields. The RKMC also supports communication related to accessing data collected by BHER partners for reference in other BHER research and development projects.

Research produced throughout the BHER project will inform the continuous improvement of the project; and generate theory and empirical evidence about the experiences of refugees in education and the social, political, economic, and cultural consequences of these experiences.

With such a mandate, the committee thus:

• Develops structures and processes to promote excellence and collaboration in research across the BHER partnership;
• Provides consultation and assistance with the internal review process of applications for external funding at the request of submitting institution(s);
• Manages the development, maintenance and review of the BHER Research Database, including a database of references and a summative compilation of research projects (complete, underway and proposed) and publications (written and other forms of output) related to BHER, available online;
• Reports biannually to the BHER Partnership Committee on the research undertaken and underway.

Members

Governance

RKMC is led by a chair, chosen among the members representing institutional partners in the BHER project.  A co-chair may be agreed upon by the membership if the need arises. S/he may be an independent researcher or affiliated with an institution that is not formally associated with the BHER partnership.  Specific task groups may be created within the committee to undertake specific workload for a limited amount of time. If funding permits, the work of the chair (and co-chair) is supported by a BHER Graduate Assistant. 

Meeting time

RKMC meets at least quarterly or more often as need arises. Its meetings happen virtually via Skype, Webex or other communication platform appropriate to all participants and are coordinated by York University.