After suffering years of harassment and arbitrary arrests, the news gave Somali journalist and human rights activist Abdalle Mumin a rare jolt of optimism: he’d been awarded a research fellowship at the University of York. Four thousand miles away, a fresh start beckoned, free from the persecution that dogged his outspoken reporting. Now only the small matter of a prison cell door stood between him and safe haven in the UK. 

“I immediately thought: ‘How am I going to get out of this jail?’,” Mumin recalls. “I was even thinking of sneaking out at night, but it was too risky – they would have shot me.” 

Mumin is one of dozens of human rights defenders, persecuted academics and asylum-seeking students to find refuge, community and academic freedom with the backing of the University of York. 

Marking its second anniversary in March 2025, the university’s Sanctuary Fund builds on a 15-year commitment to providing international scholars not only with a safe place to learn, but also the confidence to bring their newfound skills to bear on the world stage. Hailing from places of conflict and danger across the planet, they are now the global policymakers, human rights lawyers, medics and changemakers of the future.  

“For these people, the fund is literally a lifeline,” says the university’s philanthropy manager, ​Kalli​ Keramari. “And it’s not just about getting a bachelor’s or master’s degree, or spending six months here on a research project, it is about hope, a new perspective and new horizons. It’s about feeling supported, and not feeling alone.” 

Mumin’s dedication to media freedom had made him a target for Somali intelligence services. His latest stay in Mogadishu’s central prison followed months of intimidation and a nightmarish three days in the infamous Godka Jila’ow underground detention centre. It would be another month before he was finally released, and it would take an Amnesty International escort to see him safely on to his plane, bound for Manchester. 

Sanctuary in the UK came courtesy of the university’s Centre for Applied Human Rights, a unique initiative that has been awarding protective fellowships to human rights defenders since 2008.  

Working with other international fellows, Mumin has used his time here to build a database of human rights violations involving journalists. He dived headfirst into master’s-level lectures on law and politics, networked relentlessly and brushed up his presentation skills. He still heads up the Somali Journalists Syndicate, a union of reporters who focus on exposing government corruption. 

“The fellowship saved my life, and the lives of my wife and children,” he says. “I don’t know what would have happened to me without it. Now that I’m in a safe location, I can continue my work as a journalist without fear of reprisals.”  

Long-term crises have driven the global number of displaced individuals to more than 89 million, and while 40% of people worldwide have access to higher education, only six per cent of refugees share the same opportunity. 

Sayed Nasratullah Hashmi fled his native home in Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul in 2021. His family’s political leanings and a long history of working with peacekeeping organisations placed them in the crosshairs of the Taliban regime. 

Hashmi – a civil engineering graduate – had spent six years applying to universities overseas before landing an Equal Access scholarship from York, a breakthrough that proved pivotal. He graduated in January with a master’s degree in conflict, governance and development, and hopes to stick around long enough to gain a PhD. In the meantime, he’s working as an interpreter for the City of York council, helping new refugees settle in.  

The fellowship saved my life, and the lives of my wife and children

“The Sanctuary Fund was a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” he says. “The University of York – and the city of York – made me believe there really is a world of opportunity.” 

Longer term, he hopes to put his studies to good use in humanitarian efforts back home. “I have to give back to Afghanistan, but my goal is not only for Afghanistan – it’s for all humanity. We have to work for each other,” he says. 

Fawzia Ehsani, another Afghan to benefit from an Equal Access scholarship, has her sights set even higher. After studying post-conflict development to PhD level, she’s aiming for worldwide peace. “It might be a little ambitious!” she admits. But this scholarship has a ripple effect that extends far beyond its recipients. “It positions us to contribute to state-building and development in our countries of origin when circumstances allow. It not only transforms our lives, but also has the potential to influence the future of entire communities and nations.”

While Equal Access scholarships cover university tuition fees and provide a bursary towards living expenses, those behind the Sanctuary Fund also work with the Council for At-Risk Academics to provide critical support for displaced scholars from conflict zones including Ukraine and Syria.  

​​​Keramari is hopeful that, with the kind generosity of benefactors, this transformative work can continue changing lives.  

“Our work is based on bridging generosity with opportunity,” she says. “My hope is that more people will come with us on this journey, that more people will support our students, our human rights defenders, our academics, and see the difference that they can make.”

Photography: Alex Holland