DAFI scholarship supports a Syrian refugee student earn her master’s degree
DAFI scholarship supports a Syrian refugee student earn her master’s degree
The lecture hall at the University of Duhok fell silent as Zainab Abdullah finished defending her master’s thesis. The panel’s smiles said it all. As the applause rang out, from the professors to her family smiling in the back row, Zainab felt a wave of emotion. This moment was more than an academic achievement. It was a testament to 13 years of resilience and perseverance.
Zainab had always been a top student, but her education was disrupted when her family fled Syria in 2013 as conflict intensified. Her mother, hoping that it would only be a short-term arrangement, told her they were going to Iraq for just one week. Among their few belongings, her mother carried a precious folder: Zainab’s school certificates.
After finding safety in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Zainab struggled with the uncertainty of displacement. “I was very depressed… I cried almost every day because I feared I would not be able to continue my education.”
Using her Syrian documents, Zainab was able to enrol in high school, benefitting from the refugee inclusive policies, and the strong community support, that underpin access to education across Kurdistan. She graduated with excellent grades.
Zainab with her husband and children at her makeshift shelter in Domiz-1 Syrian Refugee Camp in Duhok Governorate.
“It is not easy to be a student while displaced,” Zainab explains. “You face many challenges such as family responsibilities, transportation cost, adapting to a new place.”
Given costs her family could not afford, hopes for university seemed distant but UNHCR’s DAFI scholarship programme - directly funded by Germany and Denmark, among other donors – provided the support needed. This scholarship programme supports refugee students to access higher education, by covering a range of fees and cost including tuition and study materials, as well as providing a small stipend for living expenses, helping students to remain enrolled.
With DAFI scholarship support, Zainab studied Political Science at Duhok University and graduated at the top of her class. "I never felt different," she says, underscoring the welcome provided by teachers and fellow classmates.
Zainab defends her master’s thesis at the University of Duhok
Yet, her ambition didn't stop there. As a young mother living in Domiz refugee camp, she enroled to pursue a master's degree. Balancing childcare, housework, and studies was hard, but with the financial support of the DAFI scholarship and her own determination, she was able to continue studying and finally presented her master’s thesis in October 2025.
“For me, the DAFI programme was like a ship that carried me toward my dreams,” Zainab says. “With the education I have gained, I will work to improve the lives of those around me and the community where I live.”, Zainab says.
Since 2016, UNHCR’s DAFI programme in Iraq has supported 492 refugee students like Zainab, to access higher education across 21 universities. For the 2025-2026 academic year, UNHCR is supporting 49 refugee students through the DAFI scholarship. For Zainab and her fellow scholars, it has been a lifeline, removing the obstacles they would have otherwise faced in achieving their ambitions.
Lilly Carlisle contributed reporting to this story.
