A refugee has told how she will start a “new chapter” in her life as she graduates from university. Nahed Mansour is one of hundreds of students graduating from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh today (December 3).
But the 34-year-old Palestinian is unable to accept her scroll in person as she lives in the Beddawi refugee camp in Tripoli, north Lebanon, with her parents and seven sisters. The humanitarian worker, who completed the course online, said the “practical information and knowledge” she gained while studying for a masters in business administration (MBA) will help with her role.
Ms Mansour now plans to study for a PhD, saying this will “empower me to have a louder voice and advocate for my community”. Her graduation comes just over two years after she helped survivors of the Beirut explosion in Lebanon in August 2020 – when some 218 people were killed and more than 7,000 injured when 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that was being stored in a warehouse exploded.
