BRISTOL, R.I. (AP) — Roger Williams University is offering four scholarships to students displaced from war-torn Syria.
The Bristol, Rhode Island-based school joins more than 60 U.S. and international colleges that provide scholarships for Syrian students to complete their degrees in North America and Europe.
The consortium, led by the Institute of International Education, has supported hundreds of Syrian students and also includes Brown University.
Roger Williams will offer full-tuition scholarships to two students in the architecture school and two in the law school.
“As Roger Williams University strives to be the university the world needs now, we recognize the unprecedented tragedy of the Syrian conflict and the vital role of higher education in charting a course to recovery, reconciliation and reconstruction of Syria,” said Kate A. Green, RWU’s director of international program development. “Honoring the legacy of Roger Williams, in collaboration with IIE’s Syria Consortium, we have committed graduate scholarship opportunities specifically in the areas of architecture and law — two foundational disciplines vital to rebuilding both infrastructure and the rule of law in circumstances such as the Syrian conflict.”
Stephen White, dean of the RWU School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation, said, “We welcome our new architecture graduate students from Syria. Their academic and professional achievements in Syria prior to coming to the United States are outstanding. They will make a great contribution to the community of our school, joining our other U.S. and international students and faculty. We are very thankful to work with the IIE, and all they do for international education and understanding.”
Michael J. Yelnosky, dean of the RWU School of Law, said, “Part of this law school’s mission is to help those in our community in need, and our commitment extends to those whose studies have ceased because of the conflict in Syria. We are humbled by the opportunity to offer some modest support to those impacted by this enormous crisis.”
The fighting between insurgents and President Bashar Assad’s forces is estimated to have killed more than 400,000 people since March 2011.
