Collection

Papers from the Chile Programme and Women's Campaign along with papers from several WUS international and UK-based projects. WUS administrative papers including annual reports, minutes, and correspondence and printed material including pamphlets, newsletters and journals.

61 boxes (9 [717], 44 [790], 1 [925], 1 [934], 6 [1064])

World University Service (WUS) has its roots in European Student Relief (ESF), an autonomous sub-section of the World's Student Christian Federation which was established in 1920 to meet urgent material needs among university students caused by the First World War. In 1926 ESF developed into the independent organisation International Student Service (ISS), based in Geneva. ISS's work during the inter-war period included provision of aid following an earthquake in Bulgaria and during the Sino-Japanese War, and aid for refugees from universities in Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia. During the Second World War ISS established a war emergency relief committee - European Student Relief Fund (later World Student Relief) - in collaboration with the World's Student Christian Federation and Pax Romana. This fund continued to operate until 1950. In December 1950 the General Assembly of the International Student Service adopted a new title - World University Service (WUS). The new organisation would combine the former functions and activities of ISS and World Student Relief. Significant aid and scholarship projects administered by WUS include assistance for Hungarian students after 1956 and Czechoslovakian students after 1968; a scholarship programme for Chileans, who had their studies interrupted by the 1973 coup and were at risk (many hundreds of people were brought over by WUS to the UK, while scholarships were also made to those in the UK); other significant scholarship programmes were developed for Ugandan, Ethiopian and Vietnamese students in the UK. In 1970s WUS funded over 500 students a year at the University of Rhodesia [Zimbabwe] before independence. During this time WUS acted as a pressure group on overseas student fees, refugee students and latterly on human rights and development. WUS also ran numerous other projects and programmes, both internationally and within Britain. The international programmes aimed to develop and support education initiatives in developing countries and improve literacy amongst women. The UK programmes provided education and training to refugees in Britain. In June 2003 WUS UK adopted the operating name Education Action International to reflect more closely their goals and activities. The Refugee Education & Training Advisory Service (RETAS) was part of EAI. Education Action International went into liquidation in early 2010.

Open

Archives of the Chile Solidarity Campaign are held at the Labour History Archive in Manchester.

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