UNICORE 2025, the University welcomes two refugee students

The University of Florence will welcome two refugee students as part of the UNICORE – University Corridors for Refugees – initiative, promoted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This programme offers refugee students the opportunity to pursue their academic studies in Italy by enroling in English-taught master's degree programmes. The two students will attend courses in Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture and in Software: Science and Technology.

Now in its seventh edition, UNICORE has engaged 37 Italian universities this year, collectively offering 67 scholarships to refugee students from Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The University of Florence, a participant in the project since 2020, has awarded two scholarships and guaranteed accommodation to the winners—one from Rwanda and one from Ethiopia—selected for their merit and motivation. Both studends will attend their respective English-language master's degree programme with unrestricted access in the academic years 2025/26 and 2026/27.

“The University’s participation in UNICORE,” says Rector Alessandra Petrucci, “reaffirms our commitment to inclusion and equal opportunity. Welcoming refugee students means guaranteeing a fundamental human right and fostering an environment of fairness and acceptance—one that enables them to pursue their education within an academic community offering structured and accessible support.

The UNICORE project is supported by the collaboration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Caritas Italiana, Diaconia Valdese, and Centro Astalli. Locally, the University of Florence receives additional support from Diaconia Valdese–CSD and the Giorgio La Pira International Student Centre.