Safe spaces not sanctuaries
Asean universities and the politics of displacement after Myanmar's military coup
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24226201 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Licia Proserpio (0000-0002-1764-9311, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna), Brad K Blitz (0000-0003-4765-8806, University College London, UCL Institute of Education), Marie Lall (0000-0002-2868-4534, University College London, UCL Institute of Education) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-17 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-05 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | New Community (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0047-9586 • E-ISSN: 1469-9451 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/1369183x.2026.2666236 |
| OpenAlex | W7160234084 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 19 |
Focusing on ASEAN university responses to Myanmar students displaced by the 2021 military coup, this article contributes to emerging scholarship on university responses to displacement by examining how higher education institutions in politically constrained contexts create protective educational environments. Drawing on a survey of 26 ASEAN higher education institutions and informal interviews with 9 academics and managers, the analysis reveals that universities create what we term 'safe spaces’ through three interconnected mechanisms: administrative accommodation, institutional agenda alignment and promoting regional integration. These mechanisms enable universities to navigate the complex terrain between humanitarian commitment and political constraint without directly challenging state authority. The study advances a conceptual distinction between ‘sanctuary’, territorially-bound protection requiring institutional autonomy, and ‘safe spaces’ created through accumulated practices that respond to student needs within existing administrative frameworks. The article concludes by suggesting policy directions at institutional, national and regional levels that could enhance university capacity to create safe spaces whilst acknowledging the political realities within which these institutions operate.
2021 Myanmar military coup · higher education institutions · institutional autonomy · political constraints · refugee protection · Regional Integration · safe spaces · sanctuaries · student displacement · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography · Education and experiences of immigrants and refugees · Migration and Exile Studies
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| Highly cited | No |
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