The Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) Project aims to make educational programs available where refugees need them.

We believe that the provision of quality higher education in situ will contribute to the conditions for justice, sustainability, and peace in Kenya, Somalia, and the surrounding Eastern and Central African region.

Drawing on the expertise of Canadian and Kenyan universities, we respond to the urgent need for quality education through the provision of equitable, inclusive, gender-sensitive, and culturally-responsive university programs to refugee and local teachers and community leaders living in Dadaab, Kenya.

Our Programs


Since 2013, BHER university partners have offered accredited certificate, diploma, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs through online, on-site, and blended modes.

All academic programs are offered free to the refugee and local students serviced by BHER.

Learn More

We operate in Dadaab, Kenya— one of the world’s oldest and largest refugee encampments.

Kenya-Somalia Border. City of Thorns (x), by B. Lawrence, 2016, Picador.
Learn more about BHER

Latest News

H. Kim, 2019
H. Kim, 2019
H. Kim, 2019
H. Kim, 2019
H. Kim, 2018
Photo by M. Stella, 2019
Photo by H. Kim, 2017
Photo by H. Kim, 2019
Photo by H. Kim, 2019
Photo by H. Kim, 2019
Photo by E. Antze, 2016
  • Researching the gap: Community health worker education in Dadaab
    York University’s Dr. Beryl Pilkington and Moi University’s Dean of the School of Nursing Isabella Mbai conducted a research project on the scarcity of health human resources to meet community health needs in the protracted refugee situation in Dadaab. Check out the summary below: Researching the Gap Between the Existing and Potential Community Health Worker…
  • IDRC policy brief: An educational model for building health care capacity in protracted refugee contexts
    An Education Model for Building Health Care Capacity in Protracted Refugee Contexts  By F. Beryl Pilkington, Isabella Mbai, Judith Mangeni, & Izzeldin Abuelaish The refugee population in Africa continues to grow as more and more people destabilized by wars and conflicts within their own countries are forced to flee to neighboring countries. The Dadaab refugee…
  • Moving forward, and a video
    During our last week in Dadaab, HaEun made a video for our students as a gift for completing the Certificate program. It captures and highlights the fun memories we all had together.  The students loved it, and we hope you’ll enjoy it too! Our experience in Dadaab have left a lasting impression on us. Our…
  • 64 Dadaab students graduate from York University
    We’re delighted to announce the graduation of our second cohort of 64 students in Dadaab from York University’s Certificate in Educational Studies under the BHER project! Though these students never set foot in Canada, their names appeared in the university’s convocation ceremony alongside their Canadian classmates, as did the program’s 59 Dadaab students in 2015….