This Refugee Week, we come together as a University community to recognise and honour the strength, talent, and resilience of people who have experienced displacement and are rebuilding their lives. This year’s theme, Courage, invites us to reflect on what it means to begin again, to keep going through uncertainty and to hold onto hope in unfamiliar places.
At Bath, we see courage in many forms.
We see it in students adapting to new environments while continuing their studies. We see it in those navigating complex systems in a second or third language. We see it in individuals who show up each day, committed to their future despite significant challenges. We also see courage in our staff.
Across the University, colleagues demonstrate courage through their care, empathy and determination to support students. This includes having difficult conversations, advocating for those facing complex circumstances and taking the time to listen and respond with understanding.
Courage is also reflected in how staff support one another. Whether through offering reassurance, sharing responsibilities, or simply checking in, these everyday actions help colleagues manage their own personal challenges while continuing to support students. These moments of connection and solidarity are central to the strength of our community.
As Nic Streatfield, Director of Student Support and Safeguarding, reflects:
Courage is often found in the everyday actions we take to support one another. Whether it's helping a student take their next step or supporting a colleague when they need it most, these moments of care and connection are what define our community at Bath.
Courage is not always loud or visible.
Often, it is found in quieter moments: choosing to try again, asking for support, or taking the next step forward even when it feels difficult.
This Refugee Week, we encourage all staff to recognise these acts of courage in themselves and in each other. By continuing to build an inclusive, supportive environment, we can make a meaningful difference to the experiences of students from refugee backgrounds and beyond.
A Collective Reflection on Courage
As part of this year’s Refugee Week, Mir Abdullah Miri has created a powerful collective piece shaped by voices from the Afghan diaspora. Through shared reflections, it explores how courage is experienced, felt and sustained in everyday life.
Rather than offering a single definition, the piece brings together many perspectives, showing that courage can be found in persistence, vulnerability and the decision to continue, even in the face of fear.
Read A Collective Mosaic of Courage by Mir Abdullah Miri
This Refugee Week, we invite you to engage with these reflections, consider your own understanding of courage, and reflect on the part we each play in supporting one another.
Together, we can help ensure that every student and member of staff, regardless of their background, feels supported, valued, and able to succeed.