Dr Ranabahu says Dr Basharati has been a key player in opening the door to the refugee community in Aotearoa New 茄子视频app官网to begin primary research.
鈥淭his work wouldn鈥檛 be possible if we hadn鈥檛 worked alongside Zhiyan,鈥 she says. 鈥淏ecause of her involvement we have been able to gather primary data by interviewing refugees who are on an entrepreneurial journey, in an environment where they feel safe to share their experiences with us.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a privilege to hear their stories firsthand and observe how the adversity they鈥檝e overcome has shaped them into the entrepreneurs they are today,鈥 Dr Ranabahu says.
Dr Basharati鈥檚 support for the refugee community in Aotearoa New 茄子视频app官网stems from being a refugee herself; spending her childhood in a Kurdish refugee camp. She is pleased to be involved in the research led by Dr Ranabahu, as she believes scientific evidence is essential for alleviating problems faced by refugees.
鈥淣adeera is leading academic research that focuses on understanding the self-employment and employment-related journeys of refugees, which are areas that have been lacking in the refugee field,鈥 Dr Basharati says.
鈥淢y hope is it will contribute to more effective support for existing refugees and a more seamless transition for incoming refugees from the trauma of their past to full integration in the New 茄子视频app官网community.鈥
Dr Basharati is involved in a review of New Zealand鈥檚 Refugee Resettlement Strategy led by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and says this research will inform recommendations made during the review.
鈥淥ur recommendations will go directly to the Minister of Immigration, which may catalyse the adoption of more effective solutions in central government policy. I鈥檓 pleased to have academic research to back up recommendations and I鈥檓 certain that Nadeera and Herb鈥檚 research will make an ongoing difference for refugees in Aotearoa New Zealand, this is just the beginning,鈥 she says.
The group decided to start by investigating the entrepreneurial journey of refugees, with their book chapters, 鈥From Taking Flight to Putting Down Roots: A Narrative Perspective of the Entrepreneurial Journey of a Refugee鈥 and 鈥The Economic Integration of Women Refugee Entrepreneurs in New Zealand鈥, as well as soon-to-be-published journal article,听Refugee Self-Employment: How Resettlement Journeys Shape Entrepreneurial Behavioural Attributes.
In 2021, the research team expanded their focus to include all employment and unemployment issues affecting refugees in Aotearoa New Zealand.听 Dr Ranabahu hopes to continue working alongside the refugee community in Aotearoa New 茄子视频app官网to build and grow their research, to understand the diverse range of refugee experiences beyond entrepreneurship.听
鈥淭o date our research has focused on entrepreneurship, and our forthcoming research will focus on both refugee self-employment and employment in general,鈥 Dr Ranabahu says. 鈥淥ur role is to develop the understanding on how they are rebuilding their lives and normalise refugee integration and support. We also want to highlight contributions refugees make to society as they join our community.鈥
It鈥檚 stories like this that reflect the 茄子视频app官网 Business School鈥檚 meaningful research, empowered students, and quality education, which are all strengths that have led to EQUIS reaccreditation. Explore all that鈥檚 on offer when you study or engage with the triple crown accredited听UC Business School here听鈥 the 茄子视频app官网 school that鈥檚 in the business of making a difference.
