By Charlene Macaulay
William Abur is smiling from ear to ear after finally completing his latest academic challenge – his PhD.
The Hoppers Crossing resident has graduated with a doctorate after spending the past four years researching the migration and settlement of South Sudanese refugees in Melbourne at Victoria University.
Dr Abur said his background as a social worker working with the South Sudanese community had prompted the research.
Dr Abur found young refugees who had developed deep social interactions with their new community – such as joining a sporting group – fared better than those that had not.
Similarly, adults who worked formed better connections with their new community.
“I looked at the benefits, the challenges and the possibilities that may assist those newly-arrived refugees to settle better,” he said.
It’s a topic that Dr Abur has had first-hand experience with. Born in South Sudan, he lived in Kenya for 10 years before coming to Australia in 2006 as a refugee on a humanitarian visa.
Dr Abur said he enjoyed a brief “honeymoon period” when he first moved to Australia, then struggled with adjusting to a new life in a new country.
He has spent the past three years as an African liaison officer at Thomas Carr College, where he helps to bridge the gap between the expectations of school and parents in the education system.
Now, he is keen to work with either the government on migration and settlement, or in education to help schools understand the challenges facing, and support, newly-arrived communities.
