Global Initiative Bi-Weekly Newsletter
March 1st to March 19th, 2026
Lebanon
Palestinian refugees face new displacement as Israel’s bombs hit LebanonIn 1948, Manal Matar’s grandparents fled Akka (Acre) in what was then northern Palestine and crossed into Lebanon. They thought they would soon return, but the borders closed, and the family ended up in Rashidieh camp, near Tyre, a coastal city in south Lebanon. They’ve lived there ever since.
But in the early hours of March 2, Israeli forces began heavily attacking near their house, Manal said. “There was bombing all around us,” she said. Her family packed up and started heading north, with the violent sounds of explosions echoing around them. “The war was terrifying, and we were on the road for more than a day,” she recalled. Now, they are staying with Manal’s maternal aunt in the Beddawi refugee camp, in Tripoli, north Lebanon. Manal is one of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon now living out a generational trauma caused by Israeli displacement. “God protect us that this situation won’t last longer than this,” she said, her voice giving in to exhaustion. Many Palestinians like Manal are aware that displacement is not necessarily temporary. “God willing, it ends,” she said.
Displaced but uncounted: The people aid is leaving behind in Lebanon’s warTwo weeks into Israel’s rapidly escalating bombardment and ground incursion in Lebanon, more than one million people have been forced to flee their homes. Entire villages across south Lebanon have emptied, while neighbourhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs have once again watched residents pack belongings into cars and flee under mass evacuation orders.
Much like in late 2024, when nearly a million people in Lebanon were forced into displacement by fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, schools, municipal halls, and public buildings have been converted into emergency accommodation. But as authorities and aid groups scramble to absorb the sudden wave of displacement yet again, a familiar problem is already emerging. While everyone seeking help is fleeing the same airstrikes, they are not all receiving the same help. Migrant domestic workers, undocumented refugees, and other migrant labourers from African and Asian countries are being turned away from shelters, left to navigate the war largely on their own.
Rwanda
How inclusive education is preparing refugee students for jobsRefugee students studying alongside Rwandan peers say inclusive education is equipping them with practical skills and opportunities that are helping them prepare for self-reliance.
At Mugombwa Technical Secondary School (TSS) in Gisagara District, many learners from Mugombwa refugee camp are pursuing vocational training in fields such as electrical technology, construction, and fashion design, gaining hands-on experience while still in school. Denis Sagamba, a student of Electrical Technology who lives in Mugombwa refugee camp, said he chose the course because of its relevance in a rapidly developing world. “The world is advancing quickly, and technology will continue to require people who can install electrical systems,” he said. “That is what we are learning, and it means we will be needed in the job market. Even while studying, we can already earn some money through small installation work.”
Chancen International and HEC convene stakeholders to advance student financing dialogue in RwandaAs Rwanda continues to prioritise human capital development, expanding access to higher education remains central to unlocking the country’s long-term economic and social potential. However, financing higher education remains one of the most significant barriers for many students.
In response, key stakeholders across the education and financing ecosystem are increasingly exploring collaborative approaches to ensure more students can access and complete tertiary education. On February 19, policymakers, university leaders, student financing institutions, development partners and alumni gathered at the Kigali Convention Centre for a roundtable discussion themed “Partnerships for Student Financing: Unlocking Opportunities for Rwanda’s Future.” The dialogue was co-hosted by Chancen International Rwanda and the Higher Education Council (HEC) during the Global Learning Conference organised by the Villars Institute.
Kenya
UNHCR, regional governments, partners reaffirm long-term solutions to resolve the plight of Burundian refugeesIn a just-concluded regional conference, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with the Government of Burundi, as well as asylum countries across Eastern and Southern Africa hosting Burundian refugees, have today reaffirmed stronger support towards efforts to achieve long-term solutions for thousands of Burundians after years in displacement.
Co-funded by the European Union and the Office of the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, the three-day conference held in Nairobi, Kenya from 16 to 18 March 2026, also included perspectives from regional organizations, UN agencies, development actors and civil society on gains made so far in the ongoing refugee response as well as reintegration efforts for thousands of Burundians who have voluntarily returned to Burundi. Refugees also present in the conference shared their experiences in displacement as well as the support they require to continue living in dignity until they reach solutions to end their plight.
Vietnam
Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City to pilot AI education from MarchVietnam's southern economic hub Ho Chi Minh City, will pilot artificial intelligence (AI) education at about 170 schools starting in March, local daily Thanh Nien reported Monday.
The municipal Department of Education and Training will implement the trial program at specialized high schools, as well as at institutions delivering high-quality, advanced curricula with regional and international integration, and accredited schools meeting established standards. To support AI teaching and learning, many schools have invested in infrastructure upgrades, including modernizing computer labs, improving Wi-Fi connectivity, and equipping classrooms with advanced technological devices, the report said. According to the department, schools are also encouraged to cooperate with research institutes, universities, organizations, and individuals to obtain professional support, teaching materials, and opportunities for practical activities.
Hanoi plans to relocate small universities from inner cityHanoi is considering relocating universities with limited land area and inadequate infrastructure from the inner city, while repurposing their former campuses for general education and public uses, reports VietNamNet.
The proposal is included in the draft Master Plan for Hanoi with a 100-year vision, which has recently been released for public consultation. In the field of higher education, the city aims to reduce the concentration of students in the central urban area by expanding university development towards outer districts. This will involve building second campuses for institutions whose main campuses have already been fully developed, and relocating universities with small land areas, incomplete infrastructure, and limited historical value to designated university urban zones.
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In 1948, Manal Matar’s grandparents fled Akka (Acre) in what was then northern Palestine and crossed into Lebanon. They thought they would soon return, but the borders closed, and the family ended up in Rashidieh camp, near Tyre, a coastal city in south Lebanon. They’ve lived there ever since.
But in the early hours of March 2, Israeli forces began heavily attacking near their house, Manal said. “There was bombing all around us,” she said. Her family packed up and started heading north, with the violent sounds of explosions echoing around them. “The war was terrifying, and we were on the road for more than a day,” she recalled. Now, they are staying with Manal’s maternal aunt in the Beddawi refugee camp, in Tripoli, north Lebanon. Manal is one of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon now living out a generational trauma caused by Israeli displacement. “God protect us that this situation won’t last longer than this,” she said, her voice giving in to exhaustion. Many Palestinians like Manal are aware that displacement is not necessarily temporary. “God willing, it ends,” she said.
Two weeks into Israel’s rapidly escalating bombardment and ground incursion in Lebanon, more than one million people have been forced to flee their homes. Entire villages across south Lebanon have emptied, while neighbourhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs have once again watched residents pack belongings into cars and flee under mass evacuation orders.
Much like in late 2024, when nearly a million people in Lebanon were forced into displacement by fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, schools, municipal halls, and public buildings have been converted into emergency accommodation. But as authorities and aid groups scramble to absorb the sudden wave of displacement yet again, a familiar problem is already emerging. While everyone seeking help is fleeing the same airstrikes, they are not all receiving the same help. Migrant domestic workers, undocumented refugees, and other migrant labourers from African and Asian countries are being turned away from shelters, left to navigate the war largely on their own.
Rwanda
Refugee students studying alongside Rwandan peers say inclusive education is equipping them with practical skills and opportunities that are helping them prepare for self-reliance.
At Mugombwa Technical Secondary School (TSS) in Gisagara District, many learners from Mugombwa refugee camp are pursuing vocational training in fields such as electrical technology, construction, and fashion design, gaining hands-on experience while still in school. Denis Sagamba, a student of Electrical Technology who lives in Mugombwa refugee camp, said he chose the course because of its relevance in a rapidly developing world. “The world is advancing quickly, and technology will continue to require people who can install electrical systems,” he said. “That is what we are learning, and it means we will be needed in the job market. Even while studying, we can already earn some money through small installation work.”
As Rwanda continues to prioritise human capital development, expanding access to higher education remains central to unlocking the country’s long-term economic and social potential. However, financing higher education remains one of the most significant barriers for many students.
In response, key stakeholders across the education and financing ecosystem are increasingly exploring collaborative approaches to ensure more students can access and complete tertiary education. On February 19, policymakers, university leaders, student financing institutions, development partners and alumni gathered at the Kigali Convention Centre for a roundtable discussion themed “Partnerships for Student Financing: Unlocking Opportunities for Rwanda’s Future.” The dialogue was co-hosted by Chancen International Rwanda and the Higher Education Council (HEC) during the Global Learning Conference organised by the Villars Institute.
Kenya
In a just-concluded regional conference, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with the Government of Burundi, as well as asylum countries across Eastern and Southern Africa hosting Burundian refugees, have today reaffirmed stronger support towards efforts to achieve long-term solutions for thousands of Burundians after years in displacement.
Co-funded by the European Union and the Office of the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, the three-day conference held in Nairobi, Kenya from 16 to 18 March 2026, also included perspectives from regional organizations, UN agencies, development actors and civil society on gains made so far in the ongoing refugee response as well as reintegration efforts for thousands of Burundians who have voluntarily returned to Burundi. Refugees also present in the conference shared their experiences in displacement as well as the support they require to continue living in dignity until they reach solutions to end their plight.
Vietnam
Vietnam's southern economic hub Ho Chi Minh City, will pilot artificial intelligence (AI) education at about 170 schools starting in March, local daily Thanh Nien reported Monday.
The municipal Department of Education and Training will implement the trial program at specialized high schools, as well as at institutions delivering high-quality, advanced curricula with regional and international integration, and accredited schools meeting established standards. To support AI teaching and learning, many schools have invested in infrastructure upgrades, including modernizing computer labs, improving Wi-Fi connectivity, and equipping classrooms with advanced technological devices, the report said. According to the department, schools are also encouraged to cooperate with research institutes, universities, organizations, and individuals to obtain professional support, teaching materials, and opportunities for practical activities.
Hanoi is considering relocating universities with limited land area and inadequate infrastructure from the inner city, while repurposing their former campuses for general education and public uses, reports VietNamNet.
The proposal is included in the draft Master Plan for Hanoi with a 100-year vision, which has recently been released for public consultation. In the field of higher education, the city aims to reduce the concentration of students in the central urban area by expanding university development towards outer districts. This will involve building second campuses for institutions whose main campuses have already been fully developed, and relocating universities with small land areas, incomplete infrastructure, and limited historical value to designated university urban zones.
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