My talk about Challenges facing refugees with scientific backgrounds

1. Understanding and Tackling the Migration
Challenge: The Role of Research
Suad Al Darra
Syrian Researcher, Fujitsu Ireland
4 February 2016, Brussels

2. Background
- April, 1986: Born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Lived there for 17 years
- 2003: Graduated from High School
- 2003: Left Saudi Arabia

3. - 2003: Studied IT & Software Engineering in Damascus University
- 2008: Worked in several companies
- March 2011: The Syrian Revolution
- March 2012: Took First Aid Courses to volunteer in Red Cross
- December 2012 : Got married and left Syria
Background

4. - December 2012: Moved to Cairo, Egypt
- January 2013: Martyrdom of my Father-in-law
- July 2013: Egyptian Military taking over government
- July 2013: Syrians banned from entering Egypt
- September 2013: Job offer from Fujitsu (Euraxess)
- December 2013: Left Egypt
Background

5. - January 2014: Moved alone to Galway, Ireland
- Started working with Fujitsu
- April 2014: Reunited with my husband
- Got more involved in Data Analytics Research and Applications
- Participated in The Extended Semantic Web Conference (Slovenia)
& won Linked Data Mining Challenge.
- Started Women Techmakers Group and volunteered
in several Tech groups
Background

6. Euraxess
Hosting Agreement
- Better than work permit
- Faster process
- Long Residency VISA after 2 years instead of 5
- Family reunion
Science4Refugees:
- Refugees need easier steps, less complicated visa process and an
understanding environment when applying for jobs.
- “Refugees To Be” could benefit from it instead of risking their lives
and immigrate illegally

7. Refugees With Scientific Background Challenges
“There’s a big gap between the needs of Syrians desperate to escape their
country’s violence and what’s on offer around the world”
Shatha Alkhalil, a doctoral student at Technische Universität Ilmenau in Germany.
- Their primary motivation for seeking to study abroad is survival, not academic advancement
- Not prepared for academic writings and scholarship proposals
- Grades doesn’t reflect their real abilities
- Syrian Universities are usually not recognized in EU
- VISA application is a nightmare
Pay a Smuggler or Seek a Scholarship? By Riham Kusa
http://www.al-fanarmedia.org/2015/09/pay-a-smuggler-or-seek-a-scholarship/

8. Current Work & Research
- Sharing job opportunities and scholarships with Syrian colleagues and
friends
- Connecting Syrian Applicants with European Researchers to proofread
their scholarship proposals

9. Current Work & Research
Analyzing Social Networks to find useful insights that can help
providing more support and aid for refugees
*Lucify: The flow towards Europe http://www.lucify.com/the-flow-towards-europe/

10. Current Work & Research
- “How my Degree in Engineering
Saved my life”
- “Go Home” Refugee Crisis from a
Syrian / EU perspective
Lettersfromgalway.wordpress.com
@suadarra
*Lucify: The flow towards Europe
http://www.lucify.com/the-flow-towards-europe/

11. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”
- Dr. Edwards Deming
Future Research Needs

12. Future Research Needs