i volontari dell'UNHCR e della Caritas accolgono a Fiumicino il gruppo di studenti rifugiati

Sapienza welcomes UNICORE 2025 refugee students

The four winners of Sapienza's UNICORE scholarship are from Kenya and Uganda. However, a total of 72 African refugee students will arrive in Italy to study thanks to the university corridors promoted by the UNHCR

The plane carrying the first group of young people who won the UNICORE - UNIversity COrridors for REfugees call, promoted by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and open to students with refugee status residing in African territories, landed at dawn on Wednesday, October 29. Among them were three of the four students selected from Kenya and Uganda who will enrol at Sapienza University to pursue various Master's degree programmes.

Sapienza joined this seventh edition of the UNICORE project with a public call for applications issued in March 2025, offering the four winning students a monthly scholarship of €500, exemption from paying enrolment fees for a Master's degree programme, academic guidance and tutoring, one laptop, one mobile phone and one SIM card, as well as providing three of them with accommodation in university residences. The scholarships, funded by the 33 Italian universities participating in the project this year, will support a total of 72 students selected directly by the universities on the basis of academic merit and personal motivation: the first group of students arriving today come from Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.

The UNICORE project, active since 2019, has so far enabled over 300 refugee students to access university education in Italy safely and legally, offering a concrete alternative to dangerous journeys organised by traffickers. The lack of opportunities in countries of first asylum is often the main reason why refugees continue their journeys irregularly, risking their lives. Providing access to education means not only protection, but also dignity, empowerment and opportunities to actively contribute to the societies that welcome them, as well as the possibility of arriving in our country safely. UNICORE proves that collaboration between universities, institutions and partners can transform solidarity into concrete, high-quality educational opportunities.

The project has been made possible thanks to the support of numerous partners, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Caritas Italiana, Diaconia Valdese, Centro Astalli – JRS Jesuit Refugee Service, Fondazione Finanza Etica, Gandhi Charity, Consorzio Communitas, Campus X and a wide network of local organisations that provide support to students in completing their studies and integrating into society.

The universities participating in the UNICORE project in 2025 are: