Our partner: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
SUCCESS
The Project
The 3-year research project SUCCESS is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), with the goal to improve Kiron’s innovative educational concept.
Research studies have shown that students with a migration background tend to have a higher risk of dropping out of university. In cooperation with the RWTH Aachen University, the Munich University of Applied Sciences and the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Kiron aims to close this research gap. As part of SUCCESS, the four partners look at the impact of approaches that aim to enhance and ensure the sustained study success of refugees, over the course of three years.
ImpactWe work closely together with our three academic partners, who are evaluating Kiron’s services within SUCCESS as well as implementing new tools to support our students during their studies. The goal is to contribute to the study success of Kiron students through an online-self-assessment tool for students that allows a comparison of interests and expectations for studying, the assessment of students’ prior knowledge in their respective study subject as well as evaluating the effects of related support and study support measures to increase study success of refugees. |
Students with a migration background, first-generation academics, persons without a formal university entrance qualification or students who have been out of school for a prolonged period of time tend to have a higher risk of dropping out of university. Although this is a pressing issue in higher education policy, empirical evidence on effective measures to address these challenges is still scarce.
In cooperation with the RWTH Aachen University, the Munich University of Applied Sciences and the University of Mainz, Kiron aims to close this research gap. Within the framework of the project SUCCESS – “Study Success and Opportunities for Refugees in Higher Education – An Effectiveness Analysis” (“Studienerfolg und Studienchancen für Geflüchtete – Wirksamkeitsanalysen”) – the four partners examine the impact of approaches that try to enhance and ensure the sustained study success of refugees over the course of three years. Using the example of Kiron, they seek to understand how refugees can study effectively, and achieve long-term success at university. Thus, the project seeks to strengthen Kiron’s innovative educational online platform, generating broader insights that can be transferred to other contexts and guide further research.
The research project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with a total budget of €1.2 million (January 2017 – December 2019). It also builds on findings from our second project funded by the BMBF – INTEGRAL² – which strives to improve and further refine Kiron’s innovative educational concept.
The research project focuses on three phases: (a) study preparation, (b) online studies with Kiron, and (c) transition to one of Kiron’s partner universities.
The University of Mainz (Prof. Dr. Olga Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Chair of Business and Economics Education) takes the project lead, while Kiron is responsible for the recruitment of students and the data collection for quantitative analyses: Kiron students will take part in surveys and interviews, which in turn will provide insights into the question of how higher education for refugees can be delivered more effectively. In return, Kiron will share the results with their students, enabling them to reflect upon their study progress.