To hospital, and quick ...

We must help refugee academics to contribute to society, not just drive cabs, writes Abdul Lalzad

I was an engineering professor at Kabul University for 20 years. I headed the mechanical engineering department, became academic director and then acting dean of faculty. I published five textbooks and more than 30 academic articles.

Then the dark days of the Taleban arrived. It shut down the universities and schools - all education in Afghanistan in effect ceased. Its fanatic, fascistic and ethnic cleansing regime drove me out of Afghanistan. I came to the UK in December 1998, leaving behind my wife and six children. One of my children, who was in immediate danger, managed to leave one year later.

My story is typical of many refugee academics who seek sanctuary in the UK.

But it differs from most in that I have managed to carry on with my academic work. Many academic refugees are not so lucky.

Next week, Universities UK was to have held a conference on academic refugees. It would have been a wonderful opportunity to push for policies designed to help academics such as myself. Sadly, it has had to be postponed because of a lack of interest. This is an enormous disappointment. I am writing this article to explain to my UK colleagues just how hard it is for refugees to survive - and how important it is that policies are put in place to support us.

Coming to a new society means beginning a new life and starting from scratch: it takes time to learn the system, the rules and regulations.

Language barriers and cultural differences all corrode your self-confidence. The value of our degrees, qualifications and experiences are all played down.

This can be discouraging and disappointing. These are the main reasons that thousands of refugee doctors, dentists, nurses, engineers and other professionals are unable to find work in their fields.

I know of many who end up doing manual jobs or driving taxis. You can find doctors and engineers working in many minicab offices across the UK.

How did I avoid this fate? Well, when I arrived here my first goal was to get a job. I thought it would be easy to find an academic post because I had 20 years' experience and knowledge. But that was not the case. It is difficult to obtain a job without having UK degrees or UK experience.

I tried hard, I wrote to universities (without result), and eventually contacted and met the heads of departments. I tried to convince them that I had the expertise and experience to teach. Finally, London South Bank University offered me a post as a visiting professor. I joined the academic world in the UK in 1999.

I found the environment at South Bank friendly and encouraging. Later, with the help of the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (Cara), I started a research project in solar desalination; the results were presented at three international conferences in Paris, Porto and Cyprus. Some countries and institutions contacted me to express interest in patenting the project. The final results will be presented in Cairo next September and will lead to a PhD degree.

My second goal was to be allowed to bring my family to live with me in the UK. Unfortunately, it took about two years for me to be granted refugee status. Then it took another year to earn the money to pay for my family's air fares. I managed this only with Cara's assistance. After three hard years of separation, my family joined me.

My third goal was to settle the family and educate the children to contribute to UK society. The children were quickly enrolled at schools and colleges. Now the family is well established in this country, and two of my daughters are at university studying to become doctors.

As we all know, the UK faces a serious shortage of doctors, nurses, teachers and other professionals. Cara estimates that there are thousands of highly skilled professionals among refugees who need just a little attention and assistance to be integrated into this society and to allow them to work. It will not take much to stop this huge waste of talent.

Cara, and other refugee agencies, provide assistance to professional refugees to stand on their own feet. Universities have a big role to play in supporting academic refugees.

My hope is that UK universities, like some American universities and colleges, will set up fellowships for academic refugees to help them to re-establish their lives. This would create a lifeline for those of my colleagues who drive taxis to earn a living.

UUK plans to run a conference on refugees in September. I hope it goes ahead.

Abdul Lalzad is visiting professor, department of engineering, science and the built environment, London South Bank University.

www.academic-refugees.org