We are really proud to announce another Sanctuary Award in Swansea!
This month, it was announced that Swansea University has achieved University of Sanctuary status. This is no small feat – the university had to demonstrate how they are learning, embedding, and sharing sanctuary values to a panel of local and national experts from City of Sanctuary.
The panel visited Singleton Campus for a day in June to complete their assessment, hearing presentations about the University’s sanctuary-related activity. They were very impressed with the range of research, teaching, and student activity at the university relating to people seeking asylum and had no reservations about making the award.
When asked what the university would be doing now that they are part of the local sanctuary movement in Swansea, Dr Gideon Calder said:
“Obviously, we’re delighted to achieve University of Sanctuary status. It’s a mark of all the many, diverse ways in which staff and students at the University have been contributing to the Sanctuary mission. But really, we see these as just the first steps on our journey. Our plan now is to get people talking more about this work and amplify what we already do – but also to extend and deepen our connections with communities in Swansea. That work will begin this autumn, with an event off-campus aimed at bringing together the widest range of relevant people, for a conversation about how we can work together to promote Sanctuary values.”
Among the University’s priorities has been the promotion of a regular Sanctuary Scholarship scheme, and the hosting of study visits from students in Ukraine (53 in total, so far).
Swansea University joins a host of other Sanctuary Award holders sharing positive messages around asylum issues in Swansea, including the Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea Libraries, and the Glynn Vivan Art Gallery (see our ever-growing list of award holders here!).
We want to see more Sanctuary Awards in Swansea (Businesses! Churches! Mosques! Schools!), but we are in need of a volunteer to co-ordinate awards to enable us to this more effectively. If you are passionate about helping refugees and people seeking asylum in Swansea and want to do something to help, we’d love to hear from you at [email protected].
Swansea University Singleton Park Campus image by ISSoDD.
