Sapienza welcomes two refugee students of Eritrean and South Sudanese nationality but coming from Ethiopia, who arrived on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, at Fiumicino airport and will study at our University. The two students are part of a group of forty-five refugees who received scholarships and will continue their academic studies in 23 Italian universities thanks to the UNICORE - University Corridors for Refugees project. The first contingent of 37 girls and boys has been in Italy since September 16; the remaining 8, including the Sapienza students, were waiting for their documentation to be completed and arrived in our country at a later date.

The two students were welcomed at the airport by UNHCR, the Waldensian Diaconia and Caritas and taken to a place where they will self isolate before joining university activities. Upon arrival, they got tested and received the first dose of anti-Covid vaccine at the airport health hub set up by the Spallanzani Hospital. Sapienza provided the students with computers, mobile phones and sim cards.

The UNICORE project, which started in 2019, has so far seen the participation of 28 universities, which collectively have provided more than 70 scholarships over the past three years. The selection of students, carried out by individual universities, was based on academic merit and motivation.  The winners are refugees from Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Thanks to the project partners, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Caritas Italiana, Diaconia Valdese, Centro Astalli, Gandhi Charity and a vast network of local partners, the students will receive adequate support to complete their studies and integrate into academic and social life. 

For further information, please visit the Italian version of this article.