Incluusion gives refugee students - both those with and without residence status - the opportunity to follow undergraduate degree courses at Utrecht University (UU). Many refugees' lives are put on hold for quite some time while living in an asylum seekers' centre, for example, and this programme offers them the opportunity to continue developing themselves academically while they wait to receive an asylum decision, by joining UU courses and Utrecht Summer School courses. When Incluusion students successfully complete a course, they receive a certificate (but no ECTS).

Incluusion students are enrolled just like regular students, which means they can make use of the UU facilities during their course. They have full access to the library, and also to student support services such as the Skills Lab and Career Services. The Skills Lab offers students workshops in academic skills (e.g. writing a thesis, personal coaching, and workshops on how to give a presentation). The Career Services can help students with their CV, setting up a LinkedIn profile and preparing for job interviews.

During a UU course the Incluusion students are linked to one or two buddies: regular UU students who have volunteered to help the Incluusion students. They do this by:

• providing a social network: most buddies meet with their student once every two weeks;

• helping with practical matters, such as finding the right buildings or rooms, accessing the library, and use of the Blackboard (university system) and Teams platforms;

• providing help with education, for instance advising on how best tackle an assignment or how to prevent plagiarism. The buddies don’t help with the content itself, but can refer the Incluusion students to the help they need.

The yearly editions of the programme have seen the following numbers of students:

2016: 15 (Utrecht Summer School pilot programme)

2017: 170 

2018: 180

2019: 220

2020: 150 (estimated number)

2021: 100 (estimation until the month of June, excluding Utrecht Summer School registration)

These figures generally comprise 70% male students and 30% female.

Since its inception, Incluusion has offered courses to more than 500 refugees from over 40 countries. The programme has expanded from only offering courses to, for example, providing academic transition and academic skills support before they start a university course. This is because the Dutch education system is structured differently from those of many other countries and often requires some adaptation (e.g. proactive study attitude; less reproduction; more cooperation).

Incluusion also broadened its scope with a new pilot programme in March 2020, in which refugee status holders are offered a work placement for approximately six to eight months within the UU. There are currently five people in placements, in IT, communication and teaching. A decision on the programme's continuation will be taken by the end of 2021.

Refugee and asylum-seeker students living in the Netherlands, other students who act as 'buddies' and, by extension, the wider student body and the university as a whole. In addition, other HEI from the Utrecht region and other universities with similar programmes, which contribute to and learn from mutual exchanges of ideas and inspiration with the Incluusion programme.

The UU collaborates financially with the municipality of Utrecht for the programme and receives other funding from private funds, such as the KFHein fonds. This collaboration might in the future be extended or shaped into a different format, together with other Higher Education Institutions from the Utrecht area.