The story of HOPES
HOPES-LEB (Higher and Further Education Opportunities and Perspectives for Syrians and vulnerable youth in Lebanon) is an €8.4 million project funded by the European Union, through the EU Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian crisis, the ‘EU Madad Fund’, and implemented by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD),Campus France and Nuffic.
Due to the conflict in Syria, more than seven million Syrians have been displaced internally and around five million have fled the country, finding refuge in neighbouring countries. With approximately one million registered individuals, Lebanon is considered the country in the world with the highest per capita ratio of refugees from Syria. As a result of the protracted crisis and local political and economic difficulties, the higher education system in Lebanon has been heavily affected and a situation has arisen where only 6% of the Syrian youth in Lebanon between the ages of 18 and 30 are currently enrolled at Lebanese higher education institutions.
Within this context, the HOPES-LEB project aims at improving livelihood prospects through higher education opportunities for vulnerable Lebanese youth and refugees in Lebanon thus increasing their chances for a better future.
It also seeks to provide better access to quality further and higher education opportunities and support to higher education and local institutions in Lebanon.
Check out the short clip about the HOPES-LEB project featuring testimonies from our students and alumni.
HOPES-LEB INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES:
HOPES-LEB follows a comprehensive approach covering the entire educational pathway for higher education, from preparation for university studies to access to the labour market.
Scholarship Fund:
HOPES-LEB provides a broad spectrum of up to 1,000 scholarships for vulnerable young Lebanese and refugees in Lebanon. Students benefit from preparation courses for higher education, university studies (Bachelor and Masters) and further postgraduate courses to increase their employability and entrepreneurial chances.
Academic Counselling:
Funding for Training and Capacity Building:
Stakeholder Coordination:
Regional Alumni Network:
HOPES-LEB is a continuation of the HOPES Project
HOPES-LEB is a continuation of the HOPES (Higher and Further Education Opportunities and Perspectives for Syrians) project, funded by the European Union, through the EU’s Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, the ‘EU Madad Fund’, and implemented by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), British Council, Campus France, and Nuffic.
It aims to provide better access to quality further and higher education opportunities for refugees of post-secondary-age from Syria as well as young people in the host communities affected by the high influx of refugees in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.
HOPES was a €12 million multifaceted project implemented from 2016 until 2020 and which provided full academic scholarships at bachelor’s and master’s levels, university based English-language and study skills courses, academic counselling, funding for innovative short-term education projects and national and regional stakeholder dialogues.
More Information about the EU Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian crisis, the EU Madad Fund:
The EUTF was established in 2014 to allow for a coordinated response to the Syrian crisis and to provide refugees and host communities in the countries neighbouring Syria with the needed support by mobilising 2.38 billion Euro for projects in the spheres of education, livelihood, health, protection and water management. The EUTF Syria – Madad officially ended in December 2021, with projects running until June 2025. However, the EU response to the Syrian crisis is set to continue through the transition to the “Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument” (NDICI).
