WASHINGTON, D.C., July 22, 2025 – The IIE Odyssey Scholarship for refugee and displaced students awarded eight new fellowships to students from the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, and Somalia; they will continue their studies—ranging from health and law to business and international relations—at universities in Kenya and Chad. The IIE Odyssey Selection Committee held a special meeting to award the fellowships.
Through the IIE Odyssey Scholarship for higher education, IIE invests in the potential of motivated young adults uprooted by displacement to pursue their own unique paths and create thriving futures for themselves and their communities. The IIE Odyssey Scholarship provides talented refugee and displaced students with fully funded undergraduate or graduate scholarships so they may access higher education and ultimately pursue their dreams. Since the program’s founding in 2021, IIE has awarded more than 170 scholarships to deserving students from 20 countries.
Four newly awarded Odyssey Scholars will pursue bachelor’s degrees at universities across Chad, bringing the total number of IIE Odyssey scholars there to twenty-two. Four students will pursue master’s degrees in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing the total of 15 IIE Odyssey Scholars in the capital.
Talaja Israel, who was previously awarded an Odyssey Scholarship and is currently in Kenya, reflects on the pivotal moment he received the scholarship: “When I learned that I received the IIE Odyssey Scholarship, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and joy—it felt like the beginning of a new life. The day I received the award, I truly felt seen and believed in. It was a moment of hope, the kind of breakthrough that reminds me that despite where I come from, your dreams are valid. It gave me a renewed sense of purpose and the motivation to give my best, not just for myself, but for my entire community. Odyssey didn’t just support my education; it empowered me to become a changemaker in my community.”
Learn more about the IIE Odyssey Scholarship at iie.org/odyssey.