Refugee ACTion Hub (ReACT)

MIT is poised to become a global educational hub for displaced populations and refugees. With the launch of the Refugee ACTion Hub (ReACT), which was announced at the SOLVE at MIT annual flagship event, the Institute will develop digital and blended learning opportunities and serve as a catalyst for anyone dedicated to solving the problem of refugee education.

MIT ReACT stems from the vision and personal journey of its faculty founder, Admir Masic.

MIT ReACT will focus on three main objectives: community engagement within MIT and beyond; the development of a certification system for displaced learners; and an outreach effort to connect with broader audiences. The founding team includes Hala Fadel MBA ’01, founder and chair of the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Pan-Arab region; Said Darwazah, CEO of Hikma Pharmaceuticals; Thomas Ermacora, futurist, urbanist and humanitarian; and Riccardo Sabatini, scientist and entrepreneur.

To create a scalable program that meets the needs of displaced learners, MIT ReACT will initially pilot two efforts. Coding For Life, a hybrid learning program, will customize MIT's MicroMasters concept, offering a professional and academic credential for online learners with the possibility of applying for campus-based programs. Through a partnership with MIT Media Lab's Refugee Learning Accelerator, a parallel effort will aim to increase the digital innovation capacity in higher education institutions across the Middle East.

Masic and Fadel, who both served as judges of the refugee education challenge at SOLVE, are already building upon that experience and expect to offer seed research funding for faculty, postdocs and students and support for student-led fieldwork projects.

MIT ReACT will leverage other related global learning, engagement, and innovation activities throughout MIT such as the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI), MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund Program, and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). Additionally, the debut of ReACT follows on the heels of the recent announcement of the Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab (J-WEL), aimed at learners in the developing world and those now underserved by education.