Promotion of International Activities

The University of Florence is a partner of the New European Bauhaus (NEB), a European Commission initiative inspired by the historic Bauhaus art and design school founded in interwar Germany by architect, designer, and urban planner Walter Gropius.

The NEB aims to revive the Bauhaus ethos across Europe by combining aesthetics with functional design to create sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality living spaces in line with the European Green Deal.

By facilitating shared research and idea exchange, the NEB fosters interdisciplinary dialogue among designers, architects, engineers, scientists, students, and creative thinkers. It actively engages citizens, businesses, public authorities, trade associations, and other community stakeholders.

Within this framework, the University of Florence focuses specifically on contributing to the Mediterranean dimension of the NEB initiative.

Administrative contact: Silvia Villa, Office for Internationalization Promotion and Development, Internationalization Unit

The University of Florence is a member of Scholars at Risk (SAR), an international network of over 530 higher education institutions across 41 countries dedicated to defending academic freedom and protecting threatened scholars.

The primary mission of SAR is to arrange temporary academic positions for researchers and academics whose lives, liberty, or careers are at risk in their home countries. Alongside providing sanctuary, the network engages in advocacy work by hosting seminars, producing research reports on violations of intellectual freedom, and raising awareness of threats to critical inquiry. Host universities in Italy and worldwide actively involve visiting SAR scholars in these initiatives.

Academic contact: Maria Paola Monaco (Rector's Delegate for Inclusion and Diversity)

Administrative contact: Silvia Villa (Internationalization Promotion and Development Office, Internationalization Unit)

The Tuscany University Network (TUNE) promotes high-quality higher education and research carried out in Tuscany on an international stage.

Tthe network brings together six leading Tuscan institutions: the University of Florence, the University of Pisa, the University of Siena, the University for Foreigners of Siena, the Scuola Normale Superiore, and the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa.

TUNE works to expand international study and research opportunities across Tuscan universities, institutes, and research centres. It builds strategic partnerships with foreign universities, public authorities, and private organisations through collaborative agreements, joint projects, and international student mobility.

The network serves as a key reference point for transnational mobility and cooperation policies, supporting excellence in higher education and research.

The Confucius Institute is the official body for the teaching of Chinese in the world, recognized and funded by the Ministry of Education of China.

The Confucius Institute of Florence was born in March 2014 as a result of the collaboration between the University of Florence and Tongji University (Shanghai). 

It offers Chinese language courses at all levels.

In addition to the spread of Chinese language and culture, the Institute organizes meetings and seminars with experts from the Chinese world; events about Chinese culture; specialized courses (Chinese for business; for tourism; for children).

Since 2015, under a dedicated agreement renewed in 2020, the University of Florence has partnered with Uni-Italia (Centre for Academic Promotion and Orientation of Study in Italy) alongside other Tuscan universities to promote local higher education and research opportunities abroad.

Established in July 2010 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of University and Research, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Italy China Foundation, Uni-Italia aims to attract international students and researchers to Italian universities. It promotes Italian study programmes and fosters university cooperation and cultural exchange between Italy and other countries. Alongside its work in China, Uni-Italia operates in India, Indonesia, Iran, and Vietnam.

Uni-Italia centres located within Italian diplomatic posts overseas assist prospective students by providing guidance on study options in Italy and supporting pre-enrolment procedures. They also facilitate partnerships between foreign institutions and Italian universities.

In addition, Uni-Italia centres collaborate with local Italian Cultural Institutes and embassies to promote Italian language and culture worldwide.

In 2021, the University of Florence joined the Italian Interuniversity Consortium for Argentina (CUIA).

Established in 2002 as an internationalisation project within the Italian university system, CUIA initially comprised 14 Italian public universities. Coordinated by the University of Camerino (UniCam), the initiative evolved into a consortium in 2004, aiming to promote Italian culture in Argentina through the development, promotion, and implementation of international academic cooperation programmes between the two countries.

The Consortium currently includes around 30 member universities and is chaired by Flavio Corradini from the University of Camerino.

Operating in both Italy and Argentina, CUIA promotes and supports specialised training and information activities, joint research projects, and mobility for academic staff, researchers, and doctoral students. Its efforts in promoting Italian and Argentine doctoral student mobility were officially recognized in the "Executive Protocol for Cultural and Educational Cooperation between the Italian and Argentine Governments for 2014–2018".