to Equip Refugees and Asylum Seekers with AI Skills

In 2019, Dina Abdelhafez, Ph.D., was studying in Czechia when she visited Berlin, Germany, for a semester abroad. She fell in love with the city, started learning German, and eventually planned her move. Five years later, she had finished the THRIVE program, and we had the opportunity to learn more about her journey.

We reconnected with Zaher Talab recently to catch up with him on his journey.

Berlin, Germany - Kiron, a nonprofit organization dedicated to offering accessible education to refugees and underserved communities globally, is pleased to announce the appointment of Wenke Christoph as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective April 17, 2024.

In this blog post, Katrin shares her experience as a mentor with Kiron. From the challenges she faced to the profound impact on her mentee's journey and her joy in fostering personal and professional growth, discover how mentoring goes beyond a professional duty for Katrin.

Kiron is delighted to announce the extension of our mentoring program in partnership with TE Connectivity — a global industrial technology leader dedicated to creating a safer, sustainable, productive, and connected future.

We have discovered that a Mr. Yilmaz Yigit is posing on the Internet as an employee of our organization. Mr. Yigit, under the guise of Kiron, has been offering services and products such as language and integration courses, certificate issuance, and assistance with finding work and housing. He has been requesting payment for these services.

With 15 years of experience as an electrical engineer, circumstances led Kadir to seek refuge in Switzerland with his wife and children. He was scared to start from scratch. However, Kadir discovered Kiron’s mentoring program. Read to learn more about his experience…

With a background as a business analyst in the automotive industry and three years of experience as a team lead in a customer support team, Halyna Klimova decided to take on a new challenge: transitioning into the world of data analysis. Read about the inspiring journey of Halyna, who embarked on a path of personal and professional growth, all while navigating a new life in Germany.

When a coachee transitions into the role of a coach, it unveils a remarkable story rooted in resilience and the potential that arises from embracing opportunities. In this interview, we reconnect with Enis, who was once a coachee in Kiron's Wir Für Chancen (translated as “Together for Opportunities”) program and has since volunteered to coach for future coaching programs, giving back to the Kiron community.

Berlin, Germany – Kiron, an education technology nonprofit organisation, is poised for the next step of organisational development as it prepares to bid farewell to its esteemed Managing Director, Dr. Tobias Ernst, while welcoming Anne Parsons and Hannes Rudzik as new members to the leadership team.

In a world plagued by forced displacement, one individual's determination and unwavering willpower stand as a testament to the transformative power of education. ‍

Oksana Klochko is from Ukraine. She taught computer science, applied mathematics, and methods of teaching computer science as a university professor.

Over 50 million women and girls are forcibly displaced currently. They often face significant challenges compared to men, including gender-based violence, discrimination, and limited access to education and employment opportunities.

Kiron, the educational technology non-profit organization focused on providing learning opportunities for refugees & underserved communities.

Kiron is delighted to announce our partnership with DataCamp via the DataCamp Donates program.

For many refugees, finding a job is challenging. Some lack formal certificates to enter the labor market or face tedious and costly job recognition processes.

Khalil Al Doughaiman is from Homs, Syria but was forced to move to Lebanon in 2013.

The EdTech non-profit, Kiron, has joined forces with global financial services provider, Deutsche Börse, and VC-backed EdTech startup, Virtual Internships, to launch an ambitious hybrid learning and mentoring program for refugees and people with a migrant background in Germany

INTEGRAL+ – Integration and participation of refugees in the context of digital teaching and learning scenarios through personalization and scaling

KSTEP: Kiron Blended Certificate Program & Student Empowerment Program in Princess Basma Community Centers supported by the UNHCR

Education and training for young Syrians and Jordanians. 3-month program in collaboration with the GIZ.

In the context of building the capacity of Jordanian youth in political life, “KAS Program to Activate the Role of Youth in Political Life” is a project to be conducted in its second edition, adapting a new digital approach.

Skill building, training programs, online courses: there are countless methods to prepare for a job and develop the skills needed to perform well at work.

Rania is one of our students who took part in these “offline” events in Germany. Rania was a journalist and activist from Egypt.

Kiron partnered with Western Union Foundation for a 9 months project with the aim of providing marginalized and underserved communities in Jordan and Lebanon the skills needed to enable good education and job opportunities.

In March 2020, not only did COVID-19 dominate our conversations, but also shrunk our workplace into laptop-sized dimensions.

Since arriving in Germany four years ago at the age of 19, Bisher has been pursuing his academic and professional goals in the field of information technology.

One of the many initiatives designed under the H&M Foundation and Kiron’s targeted project, “Building a Learning Environment for Study Success (BLESS)”, is a focus on broadening German and English language offers.

How can an NGO ensure that it remains committed to its mission and accountable for its decisions?

“Turning a challenge into a chance”: This project supported both refugees and vulnerable communities. 150 students were recruited and followed a blended learning program in 3 different cities in Jordan. The main goal was for them to study Computer Science, English and Life Skills courses both online and offline.

PADILEIA – Partnership for Digital Learning and Increased Access: Jordan and Lebanon

In the digital age, many members of the civil society, NGOs and journalists feel that they are underprepared when it comes to data security.

One of the greatest barriers for refugees to receiving higher education or entering the job marketing is language. In Germany, many refugee students do not have the resources to reach the C1 language level required by employers and universities.

Kiron and the H&M Foundation have successfully concluded their three-year-long collaborative project BLESS, having reached the goal of “building a learning environment for study success.”

The Erasmus+ KA2 project ‘European Digital University Staff Competencies’ (EDUSC) aims to support and accelerate digitalization in higher education.

The internet is a big place and sometimes it can feel overwhelming and unsafe. Hacked computers, stolen data, and other security breaches on the internet seem to be a part of the daily news.

As NGOs worldwide are working to ensure continuity of learning experiences for their communities, we are exploring a new approach that enables collaborative action.

Milena, a 36-year-old single mother of two from Venezuela, is expanding her digital skillset in the hopes of starting her own company from home.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, online education has become a way of life for many students.

Anoud, a 19 year old from Syria, just recently packed up her belongings and moved to Montreal, Canada to start a new chapter at McGill University.

Kiron provides a free education option after public high school. But there is still the eternal question...

A new global mentoring program with TE Connectivity — a global industrial technology leader creating a safer, sustainable, productive, and connected future.

Kiron partners with SPARK, Injaz Lebanon and Berytech in order to deliver Online Mentoring on digital skills and literacy and soft skills, funded by EU MADAD and Al Fakhoora.

Pursuing higher education often brings a promise of better job opportunities, increased salaries, and more stability.

For the last three years, Martha has been adjusting to her new home in Hamburg, Germany, 9,000 km away from her homeland Nicaragua.

Originally from Salamiyah, Syria, 26-year-old Sultan was studying Physics at a university in his hometown, but had to migrate to Germany due to political instability.

Together with Deutsche Börse Group and Virtual Internships, we are excited to announce a new opportunity for students to gain experience and knowledge in a variety of job sectors.

Enabling students to study at 10 European universities online.

Kiron gives hope to students who haven’t had an equal opportunity to continue their educational path because of many reasons. - Rania

The Volkswagen Professional Guidance Program constitutes one part of the ongoing collaboration between Kiron and Volkswagen, which aims to foster exchange between refugee students and Volkswagen employees.

Learnings and Achievements from the BLESS Project in 2019.

Since 2016, the Volkswagen Group and Kiron have been cooperating to support refugees on their pathway to higher education. In an effort to provide Kiron students with professional opportunities while studying or early on in their working careers, Volkswagen has organized a range of workshops on relevant topics such as job market access, integration and women empowerment.

Wafaa is a student who benefited from the Building a Learning Environment for Study Success (BLESS) project, and even sat on the panel discussion group during Women’s Week.

I want to finish my course on political science with Kiron and be able to transfer to an offline university. My learning goal is to get a degree in the area of my interest, political science.

Kiron hosted a short course for post-conflict skills in IRD centers in Zaatari camp. Over the course of this 2-month training program, 15 students received certificates. Following this, investors introduced computer labs and increased internet access in Zaatari and nearby community centers which has increased the potential for digital self-employment opportunities.

Sajida wants to advance my knowledge through attending computer science courses and I want to start studying in a German university.

With Kiron, I don’t have to travel abroad to get an education from the best universities in the world.

From June 6-8, 2018, Kiron Open Higher Education held its first-ever double study weekend – a very special opportunity that brought students from four of our five study tracks together for two and a half days of learning about Kiron’s programs and transfer to university, building student community, and of course, studying, studying, studying. The event was hosted in seminar rooms in the Neues Deutschland building at Franz-Mehring-Platz, thanks to our friends at Media Residents!

The UNHCR, through the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative Fund – DAFI, has been supporting refugees in obtaining their university degrees since 2014.

The world is changing rapidly and with that comes a shift in high demand careers in the job market. The tech and digital education sectors are growing and it is important to prepare yourself if you want to stay ahead of the job market. Have a look at the 5 hard skills to learn this year and be ready to land more career opportunities!

Tooba's story

EREPADE’S STORY

Andreas always carries a smile with him, like he could start singing at any moment. His enthusiastic and upbeat spirit reflects his passionate and caring personality. Guided by all kinds of melodies and interests, Andreas’s path took him from Indonesia to Germany, the Netherlands, Ghana, and Vienna. Andreas studied and worked in the fields of Social Psychology and Education before finally making his way to Kiron, where he started first as an Intern, then as a Volunteer, when he founded the first Kiron choir. Today Andreas successfully supports our mission as one of Kiron’s project managers.

To celebrate World Refugee Day, we hosted Amplify Now, a 2-day virtual refugee conference which brought together students, organizations and industry leaders from across the globe to collaborate on solutions affecting refugees around the world.

The Norwegian Refugee Council Lebanon (NRC) and Kiron Lebanon have partnered in 2018-2019 to deliver blended learning programmes to 56 students, facilitated in a study center from the Lebanon Academy of Training and Development in Sidon.

As part of the H&M Foundation’s continued commitment to education, it partnered with Kiron Open Higher Education to support Kiron students throughout their studies. One of the main tenets of Kiron’s learning approach is the provision of MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses), which allows students to study at their own pace online. While this flexibility is key for many of our students, digital learning can also be an isolating experience. That is why we identified a strong learning community as one key factor in our students’ success. “Building a Learning Environment for Study Success” (BLESS), Kiron’s three-year project with the H&M Foundation, allows us to create an innovative and supportive learning environment for refugees to achieve study success and build community.

Read Atosa's story

Miraç is about to start his bachelor’s degree in law at the Freie Universität Berlin. Before having to leave Turkey and coming to Germany Miraç finished high school in Turkey and started studying criminology and criminal science at the National Police Academy. Miraç is the first of his extended family to study at a university, making his parents very proud. He has a keen interest in the criminal mind as well as in human rights.

At Kiron, we believe that change can only happen when everyone’s voice is heard. That’s why we are organising our first online conference dedicated to refugees around the world. Too often, international and domestic conferences about forced migration lack representation and inclusivity, and present refugees as passive recipients, not as potential change-makers and innovators.

Since 2015, we at Kiron have been developing our online learning platform in order to provide free educational opportunities to thousands of refugees and underserved communities around the world.

MOHAMMAD’S STORY

The self-organized, youth-led organization, the Syrian Youth Assembly became Kiron’s partner in June 2019. Together there is a shared commitment to re-engage Syrian youth by amplifying their voices and motivating them to become more involved and contribute to the future of post-war Syria. The nation has faced many challenges including war and conflict, which has forced many groups to follow a broken or fragmented education and employment path. Younger generations are particularly affected by this. The Syrian Youth Assembly (SYA) formed with the intention of organizing and empowering a young community to take part in humanitarian action. The SYA works to ensure a bright future for young Syrians, as well as enabling them to take part in the rebuilding of a nation. They aim to elevate the voices of the youth.

I’m not a new graduate from public high school, but studying with Kiron has given me a new life.

With great pleasure we are announcing a new partnership: The University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) and Kiron Open Higher Education have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Changing careers is not always an easy decision to make. But for many who have faced displacement, it can be the only option. One of our learners, Özkan, has been living in Germany for three years after moving from Turkey due to the political unrest there. A former naval officer with two master’s degrees in Economics and International Relations under his belt, he decided to use his skills to start a career in data science.

All SDW activities aim at providing young people with the best possible conditions for a successful start in fulfilling professional careers. Hence, we support the participants of our programs in reaching their full potential.

Im Rahmen des Verbundvorhabens IMPactDigital entwickelt Kiron gemeinsam mit Partnern innovative digitale Maßnahmen, um den Studienerfolg von internationalen Studierenden in Deutschland zu verbessern. Das Projekt wird gefördert durch das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung.

AMMAR’S STORY

The Berlin economy supports the academic education of 250 refugees

Kiron, Lingoda & LeWagon are joining forces to spearhead a new approach to labor market integration with a groundbreaking program in tech.

DANIA’S STORY

ALI’S STORY

ANITA‘S STORY

SAAD’S STORY

YAZAN’S STORY

BLESS, a three-year collaboration between Kiron and the H&M Foundation, creates an innovative and supportive learning environment for students to achieve study success, facilitate efficient transfer processes, and implement scalable activities for students worldwide.

KAMAL’S STORY

Soubhi's Story

Ehab's Story

2019 has been a year of tremendous progress at Kiron. We want to take this moment to share some of our exciting changes and to thank you for your help. Despite all of the big changes, our mission has remained the same: to provide refugees and underserved communities with high-quality and relevant learning opportunities, no matter where they are.

Two years after receiving a degree to become a pharmacist in Syria, Ahmad realized he lacked the passion to continue pursuing a job in that field.

Our new format for a conversation on wide-open learning

Great news: the Kiron Campus app is live! Take your learning experience to the next level, wherever you go, with our new app for Android!

Due to the current global health emergency, your daily routine and learning habits have probably been disrupted. You have to spend more time in a confined space and don’t have access to the library or your regular public study spaces or study center. More and more people are turning to online learning in these unprecedented times. At Kiron, we want to share our best tips that we have picked up over the years for studying online, so that you can succeed as a Kiron student.

Abdullah's Story

Moataz’s Story

BLESS (Building a Learning Environment for Study Success), the three-year-long cooperation between the H&M Foundation and Kiron, is in its final year and we are looking forward to many exciting initiatives designed to foster a productive and inclusive learning community.

Mohamad's Story

2 days, 31 seminars, over 5000 participants from 80 countries, 40 organisations, and over 38,000 livestream participants around the world made up one of the biggest virtual refugee conferences – Amplify Now.