Higher Education Services (HES)

SPARK is the largest provider of scholarships for Syrian refugees in the Middle East.

The HES programme started by responding to the needs of hundreds of thousands of Syrian and local youth who were applying for just a handful of overseas scholarships. SPARK noticed that new regional approaches are needed to scale up access to higher (vocational) education, particularly within Syria, its neighbouring countries (Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq) and in Palestine.

SPARK furthers the basic right to enjoy access to higher (vocational) education for Syrian, Palestinian and vulnerable young people from host communities in the Middle East. By providing a holistic approach to scholarships that involves education, skills training and work experience, HES is building an educated workforce of future leaders that can rebuild their communities and boost local economies.

SPARK works in close collaboration with local government counterparts, higher education institutions, and local partner organisations focusing on psychosocial support, economic empowerment and civic leadership. This way, our scholarships are tailored to the needs of the local economies and promote sustainable employment for our graduates.

Download the mid-term programme evaluation report.