Qualifications, Potentials and Life Courses of Syrian Refugees in Bavaria

This project aims is to help fill the gap in present research on the potentials of refugees’ integration outcomes in reference to their abilities and expectations. The survey focuses on educational and labor market integration of Syrian refugees, including an assessment of starting conditions, i.e. potentials. Those being: basic demographic information, life history before migration to Germany (i.e. living arrangements, marital status, childhood situation), education, details on the actual flight out of origin country, future plans, health status, attitudes and beliefs, and traumatic experiences (witness to violent acts of terrorism or war). Potentials will be assessed by detailed life histories on past work experience, language skills, and work related motivation and expectations of employment and educational outcomes. We cooperate with the Institute for Quality Development in Education in Berlin (IQB) and moreover include two of their tests on crystalline and fluid cognitive abilities in the survey. We also collect information on traumatic experiences that may affect the mental fortitude of an individual in their ability to fully integrate, or rather be able to take part in the social and economic life of the German society. Foreseeably, this is also the case in terms of health, education and other selected topics. We expect that the data collected will be used in academic and policy discourse.