Unifi Welcomes Three Palestinian Students as Part of the IUPALS Project

Three Palestinian students from the West Bank were welcomed today at the University by Rector Alessandra Petrucci and Maria Paola Monaco, Delegate for Inclusion and Diversity.

They were selected through a call for applications issued by the University of Florence, which made available three scholarships for enrolment in English-taught second cycle degree programmes as part of the IUPALS project – Italian Universities for Palestinian Students.

The initiative promotes the right to higher education for students residing in the Palestinian Territories, facilitating access to academic programmes offered by Italian universities thanks to an agreement by the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).

Two of the young women come from Nablus, and the third from Jenin. They will be enroled in the programmes in “Software: Science and Technology,” “International Relations and European Studies,” and “Urban and Regional Planning and Design for Sustainability.” They will receive a scholarship that also grants them free access to the services provided by the Regional Agency for the Right to University Education of Tuscany (such as accommodation, cafeteria, etc.), as well as additional orientation, tutoring, and support services offered by the University.

“I wish to express my gratitude to all the institutions that have made this humanitarian and academic corridor possible and that continue to believe in the power of culture and international collaboration as instruments of peace and growth,” stated Rector Petrucci. “Welcoming others is never a mere formality: it means choosing to keep open the door of knowledge even where closures and fears prevail. Today, the University of Florence renews this commitment, in the conviction that every life welcomed represents an opportunity for a shared future.”