
The inclusion or exclusion of refugees in contemporary Europe has been a contentious topic of debate and is high on the international agenda. With faster extradition procedures and more limited border crossings, the attitude of Western governments to asylum applications has seemed increasingly restrictive.
Economic and educational inclusion are often given precedence over other areas, but a new project is focusing on social and cultural inclusion. Started in Berlin, ‘Multaka: Museums as Meeting Point’ aims to encourage the sharing of historical and national knowledge. The concept is to train Syrian and Iraqi refugees to become museum guides so that they can take tours in their mother tongues.
The course is currently offered to young adults and teenagers, but will be extended to older applicants as the programme develops. The tours play on the relationship between the host country and the guides’ home countries. Those involved in organising the project hope that it will help to improve native residents’ knowledge of other cultures and give refugees a sense of pride and involvement in their new community.
At this time there are four German museums that are involved in the Multaka, but more are soon to be added with the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford developing their own version of the scheme. There have also been talks with the Louvre and MoMA. Of the four museums currently taking part, two focus on Syrian and Iraqi artefacts and two on the connections between Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
Students aspiring to study Philosophy and Theology could prepare for their interviews by examining how different religions and religious artefacts are perceived from different cultural stand points. Art Historians might like to consider how museums can be regarded as a meeting point (multaka) for our common past. Those aiming to study HSPS could investigate the social and political impact of such a programme as this.
More Resources
-
Pooling: Fast Facts You may have heard people talk about “pooling”, or maybe... Read more >
-
Oxford college snapshots With 35 colleges and Permanent Private Halls, choosing how to... Read more >
-
International Application Calendar Keeping on top of the various deadlines and decisions when... Read more >
-
Download a Law Personal Statement “Participating in a Citizenship Foundation Mock Trial Competition during Year... Read more >
-
ELAT mini mock paper If you’re applying to read English at Oxford, you will... Read more >
-
Mathematics Reading List Studying Mathematics at university requires a different approach to studying... Read more >
-
Cambridge Language Test mini mock paper & answers Many Cambridge colleges require applicants for Modern Languages to sit... Read more >
-
UCAT mini mock paper & answers If you are applying for Medicine or Dentistry, many of... Read more >
-
Maths Puzzle: The Age of Census A census-taker knocks on a door, and asks the woman... Read more >
-
30 Real-Life Oxford and Cambridge Interview Questions The Oxford and Cambridge interviews are notorious for having academically... Read more >
-
History Reading Lists The main challenge in the step up from school to... Read more >
-
Download a Law Personal Statement 2 “I have read The Origins of the Second World War... Read more >
-
Oxford and Cambridge Access Schemes Oxford and Cambridge aim to offer places to the best... Read more >
-
The Differences Between Similar Courses At Oxford and Cambridge For some applicants, deciding between applying to Oxford or Cambridge... Read more >
-
What’s the Most Important Part of Your Application? An application to Oxford or Cambridge involves various different elements,... Read more >
-
University Admissions Tests: How Would You Reply? Here we have a few questions and answers to sample... Read more >
-
July’s Top News Stories Read more about some of the biggest news stories to... Read more >
-
BMAT overview & tips If you’re applying for Medicine, Biomedical Sciences or Veterinary Medicine you... Read more >
-
Choosing a course From Arch and Anth to Veterinary Medicine, the range of... Read more >
-
The Great Collection of Past Oxbridge Interview Questions The great thing about an Oxbridge interview is that it... Read more >
-
Medicine, Maths, and Economics Puzzles We asked three of our top Medicine, Maths, and... Read more >
-
Cambridge’s Supplementary Application Questionnaire After you have submitted your UCAS application to apply to... Read more >
-
Outside reading: the key to a good application When it comes to writing your personal statement and preparing... Read more >
-
Stats report: our annual survey Every year, we survey hundreds of applicants who applied the... Read more >