The entrepreneurial potential of refugees

The Leverhulme Trust research project, ‘A Better Future – Understanding Refugee Entrepreneurship’ was undertaken by Dr Radi Haloub, Dr John Lever and Dr Deema Refai

WHEN refugees flee violence and oppression they often bring high levels of skills and knowledge with them.  How can these be harnessed?  A research project at the University of Huddersfield seeks answers and has carried out work among Syrians in Jordan and in the North of England.  A visit to the Middle East had a musical dimension, with the creation and performance of songs documenting the refugee experience.

The main dimension to be investigated is the entrepreneurial potential of refugees, many of whom originated in countries that have a strong tradition of self-employment.

“Some of the Syrians who have come here have professional backgrounds – they might have been doctors or teachers – but they can’t work at those jobs in the UK.  They have to develop new skills,” said Dr Radi Haloub, a Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Business Ethics at the University’s Business School.

He has teamed up with Senior Lecturer in Sustainability Dr John Lever and Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship Dr Deema Refai.  The trio have now been awarded funding by the Leverhulme Trust for a research project titled A Better Future – Understanding Refugee Entrepreneurship.

Its goal is to explore entrepreneurial skills and knowledge among Syrian refugees in West Yorkshire and how these can make a contribution to the UK economy.  The researchers will develop new insights into ways of supporting refugee entrepreneurship.

“We can’t let these people be isolated.  We aim to promote social cohesion between the communities and how refugees can become active contributors to societies and economies,” said Dr Haloub.

The University of Huddersfield trio have begun to organise a series of workshops and skills clinics involving Syrian refugees and personnel working for the councils of Kirklees, Wakefield and Bradford.  They will also conduct in-depth interview with refugees to explore and understand their skills and knowledge and their experiences journeying to a new country.

Sounding out Refugee Stories in Jordan

The Leverhulme Trust scheme was preceded by a project named Sounding out Refugee Stories in Jordan.  Backed by the University of Huddersfield’s own “sandpit” fund, it involved Dr Haloub, Dr Lever, and Dr Refai plus Dr Toby Martin, an Australian singer-songwriter who was Senior Lecturer in Popular Music at the University.

Dr Refai – whose mother tongue is Arabic – conducted interviews with male and female refugees from Syria, currently residing in Jordan, focusing on the motivation of those who started their own businesses.

Findings were translated into English, enabling Dr Martin to write two songs based on the stories of refugees.  He worked closely with local musicians and singers, leading to performances at the University of Petra and a high school in Jordan.

An added dimension was the back projection of a photo-montage by the University of Huddersfield photography researcher Alex Beldea, who carried out a project documenting refugee journeys.  The events attracted the attention of a number of refugee aid agencies in Jordan who attended these events.  Food catering at the University of Petra was organised by Syrians to further promote the project’s theme.

The song project and the performances created considerable media interest in Jordan, including a TV interview featuring Radi Haloub and Toby Martin.  Now, recordings of the songs – which feature traditional Arabian instruments – will be played at some of the events being held in West Yorkshire over the next 12 months.

Dr Haloub, Dr Refai and Dr Lever have also published an article titled Contextualizing entrepreneurial identity among Syrian refugees in Jordan, appearing in The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.