Get Roma Education to Do Better

Identity and Leadership in Higher Education

The paper aims to understand the reasons behind the limited impact of the measures to support Roma’s access to higher education. They have had inspurring social change in Roma communities by analysing the institutional settings currently in place for facilitating the access of Roma individuals to tertiary education in selected countries as well as in institutions operating regionally. The author argues that there is a need to revise the theory of change and incorporate as well as this new perspective within the programmes and measures that support Roma’s access to higher education while also strengthening identity and leadership components. This paper will discuss two components of institutional programmes which were established with the goal of supporting Roma access to higher education, yet are also identified by experts as challenges: the manner that these settings incorporate identity and leadership within their structures and the selection procedures used for choosing beneficiaries. Based on his experience as Chair of Romani Studies at CEU, he will conclusively offer possible solutions for tackling these challenges.