We're delighted to have King's College London as a founding member of the Global Response Platform. They have been one of the leading UK universities in responding to forced displacement, from their long-running Sanctuary Programme to their extensive research on migration and displacement. Their involvement sends an important signal to the rest of the sector about the appetite for collective action alongside other UK universities, and what sustained institutional commitment can look like.
Ben Webster, CEO, Mosaik Education
17 June 2026
King's joins UK universities to expand support for students affected by global crises
The Global Response Platform brings together universities across the UK to coordinate overseas support for students, academics and higher education systems affected by conflict and displacement.
King’s College London joins 12 other universities and sector partners as founding members of the initiative, led by Mosaik Education, a UK-based charity supporting access to higher education for refugees and displaced communities.
Through the platform, institutions will share expertise, pool resources and develop innovative solutions to international crises. Working together, they will build stronger links with humanitarian networks, local organisations and the learners and scholars they aim to support, helping ensure responses are practical, joined-up and grounded in local needs.
This collaboration responds to persistently high levels of global displacement and the barriers many refugees face in continuing their education. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 117 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of 2025, yet only 9% of refugees access higher education, far below the global enrolment rate of 42%. Early priorities include expanding access to online education in crisis contexts, developing scholarship pathways and building a shared evidence base to inform sector-wide action.
An advisory group including Universities UK, the British Council and UNHCR will help guide the work, with membership expected to grow in the coming months.
King’s participation builds on the work of its Sanctuary Programme, established in 2015 to create opportunities for academic communities affected by conflict and forced displacement. Through scholarships, fellowships and education-led pathways, the programme has supported nearly 100 at-risk students and fellows, while drawing on King’s expertise in migration, education and online learning to shape policy and practical responses to global crises.
This includes pioneering the University Sponsorship Model, which enables higher education institutions to host displaced students and academics and support them to continue their studies and research in safety. The model was adapted in response to the war in Ukraine, providing a framework for universities to implement the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme and match displaced students with institutions offering relevant courses.
Amid growing global instability, universities have an important role to play in helping communities affected by crisis access the education and support they need. The Global Response Platform will build on the vital work of King’s Sanctuary Programme by bringing together expertise and resources across the sector to deliver practical, joined-up support where it is needed most.
Dr Nicole Mennell, Director of Service & Impact, King's College London
King’s participation in the Global Response Platform reflects its Strategy 2030 ambition to expand education beyond campus through international partnerships and transnational education, enabling students to access education wherever they are.
Find out about the Global Response Platform on Mosaik Education’s website. To learn more about King’s involvement, contact sanctuary@kcl.ac.uk
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Director of Service and Impact