Sapienza confirms its vocation for internationalisation as Academic Year 2019-20 kicks off the first “Sapienza Foundation Year,” a preparatory course to consolidate the competences of aspiring foreign freshmen and allow them to acquire the minimum requisites for enrolment at an Italian university. The programme addresses students in countries that assign a diploma after less than 12 years of studies and therefore require one year of further studies to register in a university in Italy. Moreover, the programme also allows the students to study and improve their Italian language.

On November 4, lessons officially began for the first twenty students from nine countries around the world (Russia; Brazil; United States; Kazakhstan; Uzbekistan; Hong Kong, China; Belarus; Qatar and Ukraine) at the recently renovated Marco Polo Centre. The building in the San Lorenzo neighbourhood has been completely renovated and fitted with lecture halls, labs and libraries for courses and research on foreign languages and cultures.

 “We have reached an excellent result for the first year of activity,” explains Federico Masini, Programme Director and Professor of Chinese and Southeast Asian Languages and Literature. “This will allow us to impart a rich and stimulating education.”

The Foundation Year Programme is a 400-hour course with lessons held in English that features a core part on Italian language and culture (200 hrs.), as well as two 150-hour dedicated courses for humanities (History, Art, Archaeology) and Sciences (Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics.) 

Participants will also follow a preparatory course for the admission exams necessary for enrolment in the Medicine, Architecture, Engineering, Design, Humanities, Economics and Science programmes.

“Sapienza is enjoying the resulting of a long and complex activity aiming to increase internationalisation, an area in which we have signed many collaboration agreements and activated a large number of degree programmes held entirely in English,” explains Rector Eugenio Gaudio. Indeed, the indicators published in the last “Alma Laurea” Report confirm that 5.8% of our students are foreign citizens, mainly on Masters Programmes (7.1%), well above the national average of 3.5%.”

The beginning of the Foundation Year is one of the many activities that Sapienza holds to advance the sharing of cultural and linguistic experiences at all levels, not only for foreign students, but for Italian ones, too. 

These activities also include the project to study Chinese in school, promoted by the Istituto Confucio Sapienza, which activated the first programme in Chineses at the Rome “Convitto nazionale” ten years ago. “Sapienza has provided didactic resources for the entire programme,” explains Prof. Masini. “And this year, a Convitto student won the international Chinese culture and language competition. This is a great achievement that rewards the university’s firm belief that only reciprocal comprehension amongst peoples will guarantee peace and global stability.”