On Monday, October 19, 2020, The international conference on refugees entitled, Protracted Displacement: Hopes, Perspectives and Solutions was launched via Zoom application of the Center for Refugee Studies, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration at Yarmouk University and the German Jordanian University (GJU) through the Department of Social Work at the School of Applied Humanities and Languages (SAHL), The Syrian-Jordanian Education Program (EDU-Syria), the Academics in Solidarity program at Freie Universität Berlin(ais), the German Development Agency (GIZ), The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The conference is funded by the German University Project Office at the University of Magdeburg Stendal Applied Sciences, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and the European Union.

The first day consisted of two sessions, the first entitled "Protracted displacement as a regional and international phenomenon" conducted by the German Jordanian University, with the participation of its Vice President for International Affairs, Prof. Ralf Rosskopf. 

Rosskopf explained in his speech that the main objective of the conference was to highlight the main issues and challenges related to the fate of refugees, which contributes to the response of host communities to refugees in the light of protracted displacement movements, as well as to review the needs of displacement to refugees and host communities alike, and to clarify the role of governments and institutions in supporting and caring for refugees. Besides focusing on the role of social work and the activities of civil society organizations to promote the mental health of refugees and encourage them to engage in host communities.

He added that the conference consists of two periods, the first on (19, 20) of October, and the second on (3, 17) of next November online due to the repercussions of the new Coronavirus pandemic, expressing his thanks to the Center for Refugees and Displaced Persons at Yarmouk University for its essential role in supporting refugees and implementing projects that are concerned with empowering refugees and enhancing their abilities.

He pointed out that GJU and Yarmouk University carried out many joint projects in this field, the most important of which is the Syrian/Jordanian education project EDU-Syria, which provided the opportunity for many Syrian refugees to complete their university studies. 

For his part, Dr. Dhiah Abou-Tair, the Project Manager of (EDU-Syria) explained that the project provides scholarships for Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians to pursue higher education as well as vocational training at Jordanian universities and colleges, pointing out that the project began in 2015 and will continue until 2023. 

He added that EDU-Syria is an educational and humanitarian project funded by the European Union, where the project has graduated more than 1,000 students so far. He praised the efforts of the conference organizers, which will highlight many of the issues affecting the refugees in host countries in many aspects, especially in terms of education. 

The second session, entitled, Protracted Displacement and Higher Education in the Middle East moderated by Academics in Solidarity (ais) and the EDU-Syria project, was attended by Her Excellency Ms. Maria Hadjitheodosiou, EU Ambassador to Jordan, the President of GJU, Prof. Manar Fayyad, Prof. Dr. M. Murat Erdoğan, Turkish German University, Dr. Nahed Ghazzoul, Al- Zaytoonah University, Ms. Nada Saleh, Justus Liebig University Giessen, and DAFI students -UNHCR.