The World Refugee Day offers refugees more than a 1,000 free global online university courses so that they can avail of education and skills training under a U.S.-based program launched Monday.
Hence, access to courses at schools such as Harvard University in the United States and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland will be offering courses on topics from computer coding to neuroscience.
The US Department of State is collaborating with the free education site Coursera, in order to help refugees avail of more than a 1,000 massive open online courses (MOOC).
Course fees might range from $29 U.S. to $99 U.S., said Coursera. It will enable nonprofit organizations to put in applications for financial aid for refugees, who will be able to take courses without paying fees.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said that 65.3 million people were displaced last year.
"Coursera for Refugees is designed to provide as many of them as possible with greater access to education in career-relevant skills, as they navigate new homes and difficult times in their lives," said Rebecca Taber, Coursera's head of government partnerships.
The courses will be promoted by the State Department embassies and consulates.
"Coursera for Refugees builds on our work to help people succeed in the global economy," said Evan Ryan, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
"Our mission is to transform lives by providing access to the world's best education," Lila Ibrahim, chief operations officer at Coursera, said in a release. "We know that one of the best ways to reach the people who need education opportunities the most is by working with organizations that understand the local needs. We're excited to partner with these organizations, including the State Department, to provide refugees with comprehensive support as they take Coursera courses - at no cost - on anything from English to Python programming."
Kiron University in Berlin was launched two years ago to give free online courses to refugees.
