Combining Digital Learning and Social Integration: Inside Turkey’s Resilience Innovation Facility
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Given its location and shared cultural ties with Syrian Arab Republic, Gaziantep has become one of the largest host cities for Syrian refugees in the world, and has received international attention and praise for its open policies of integration and support to refugees.
The city has refused to adopt a “refugee camp” model and instead focuses on integrating refugees into the city by providing housing, education, and livelihoods initiatives. Over 400,000 Syrian refugees are officially registered as residents, in a city of roughly two million people, and the de facto number of refugees living in the city may be even higher.
Nevertheless, logistical challenges remain, particularly for the large number of youth among the refugee population. Unemployment among youth is high in Gaziantep, for both Turkish and Syrian populations alike, which combined with competition for limited socio-economic resources can lead to social tensions. In line with Gaziantep’s open policies, the city has approached this issue by focusing on providing support and skills trainings to ensure quality livelihoods are accessible for all young people.
Adapting the Fab Lab model
One of the ways it’s done this is through the Resilience Innovation Facility (RIF). Established by IOM in August 2021, in cooperation with the University of Gaziantep, the facility is a state-of-the-art digital fabrications laboratory, focused on skills training, livelihood planning, and social cohesion. It is based on the modeldeveloped at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but builds beyond it, as the RIF is designed to empower youth in Gaziantep by providing education, community, workforce and business trainings, while also focusing on humanitarian teachings, social cohesion, and innovative problem-solving.
The facility teaches design-thinking, problem-solving and change-making, together with providing open and equitable access to state-of-the-art digital fabrication tools, equipment, and technology. On any given day, students may learn how to use a 3D scanner and printer to build project components, then program a self-driving car, then take a course on how to use innovative technologies to contribute more effectively to humanitarian disasters.
It is also one of the few Fab Labs in the world particularly focused on youth refugee integration and social cohesion. The facility specifically targets students from a wide range of backgrounds, including Syrian students, for digital skills and livelihoods trainings, with the idea that as students learn and work together, social cohesion is also being fostered.
“As a Syrian mechanical engineering student at Gaziantep University, the Resilience Innovation Facility has enabled me to access facilities and training required for my project, and having the practical resources available here for use has helped me shape my ideas into real projects.”
Baraa Osama Al — Othaman, Student, Gaziantep University
Since the opening of the facility, over 2,000 students have benefited from activities conducted at the RIF. These students have taken part in entrepreneurship and innovation trainings as well as livelihood trainings, while at the same time engaging in meaningful collaboration between students of all backgrounds.
Building a sustainable community
More than just a laboratory, the Fab Lab is located at the center of the university campus to be visible and widely accessible. Built inside a former café, the structure of the space was designed to provide a casual social space for brainstorming and meeting friends. Three staff members provide in depth instruction on how to use the advanced technologies, and a translator is available to ensure the information is shared in three languages — Turkish, Arabic, and English.
Looking to the future, the project is also partnering with local technical high schools, particularly focusing on education centres for Syrian refugees like the Ensar Migration Centre, to introduce them to the Resilience Innovation Facility even before they reach university. After receiving specialized training targeting a younger and less experienced audience, these students will also have full access to the RIF for innovative projects.
“If you ask me about the most important place at this university, I will say the Resilience Innovation Facility. At the RIF, innovative ideas have an opportunity to turn into a concrete reality.”
Dr. Arif Özaydin, Director, Gaziantep University
The project is supported by funding from the IOM Development Fund, and is operationally led by IOM Gaziantep, with the University of Gaziantep as the key implementing partner. The project also partners with the Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce, which work with over 30,000 companies in the region, and can provide skills matching between students and existing companies, as well as entrepreneurial support to those who wish to start their own companies. This partnership will help ensure a smooth transition for graduates from the programme into the working environment.
In addition to the initial seed-funding, the RIF has now already received additional funding from the United States Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and the Government of Japan, for more equipment and trainings. The centre is also developing partnerships with other UN agencies and NGOs, as well as private sector partners, to ensure it remains a sustainable model for students to utilize for years to come.
The project strategy relies on Turkey’s National Development Plan, in particular the goal of improving the capacity to produce and use knowledge by establishing an efficient functioning research and innovation ecosystem. It’s also part of IOM Turkey’s programmes that develop capacities in migration management, improving the well-being of migrant communities, as well as promoting social cohesion among host and migrant communities. The project is an example of IOM’s commitment to the Global Compact for Migration , particularly enhancing cooperation and partnerships among all relevant stakeholders to facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration and objective 16 on ensuring migrant’s full inclusion and social cohesion.
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