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The University of Palermo participates in the sixth edition of the UNICORE 6.0 project – University Corridors for Refugees along with 39 other Italian universities. The aim is to provide 67 refugees residing in Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe with the opportunity to continue their academic journey in Italy.

For the biennium 2024-2026, Unipa is offering two scholarships worth €4,200 each per year. Students, selected based on academic merit and motivation, can choose from thirteen different master's degree programs taught in English. Specifically:

• LM-18 Data, Algorithms and Machine Intelligence;
• LM-29 Electronics Engineering;
• LM-31 Management Engineering;
• LM-70 Mediterranean Food Science and Technology;
• LM-63 Curriculum Public Management - Complex administrations and organization Science;
• LM-52 Curriculum international studies & Curriculum international trade - International Relations;
• LM-77 Curriculum Entrepreneurship and Management - Business and Economic Sciences;
• LM-56 Curriculum Economic and financial analysis - Economic and Financial Sciences;
• LM-49 Tourism systems and hospitality management;
• LM-90 Migrations, rights, integration;
• LM-48 Spatial Planning;
• LM-81 Cooperation, Development and Migrations;
• LM-6 Neurosciences.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that the University of Palermo stands alongside the program coordinated by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, for the activation of university corridors dedicated to students with refugee status.

During the academic year 2021/2022, two students from Ethiopia, of Eritrean nationality, won the scholarship and enrolled in the master's degree programs in "Management Engineering" and "Mediterranean Food Science and Technology" respectively. The first student graduated in July 2023, while the second student will graduate in March 2024. Two winners were also selected in the following year, 2022/2023. One student from Nigeria, of Cameroonian nationality, enrolled in the master's degree program in "Complex administrations and organization Science", curriculum "Public Management", and another student from Malawi, of Congolese nationality, enrolled in the master's degree program in "Business and Economic Sciences", curriculum "Entrepreneurship and Management". Last year, a refugee student from Uganda, of Somali nationality, had the opportunity to enroll in the first year of "Economic and Financial Sciences", curriculum "Economic and financial analysis", and another Sudanese student, also a refugee in Uganda, was able to begin attending classes in "Business and Economic Sciences", curriculum "Entrepreneurship and Management".

In addition to scholarships, the project provides necessary support through a wide network of local partners to successfully navigate the two-year master's degree program and facilitate student integration into university life.

Alongside the University of Palermo, three local partners are involved: Caritas Diocesana di Palermo, Centro Diaconale - Istituto Valdese, and Centro Astalli Palermo. Since 2023, Confindustria Palermo has also joined the network.

According to UNHCR estimates, individuals forced to flee due to wars and persecutions remain in exile, on average, for about 20 years. 76% of refugees worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries where opportunities to rebuild their future with dignity are often absent. Regarding access to education, global data remains dire: only 6% of refugees have access to tertiary education compared to 40% of the non-refugee population.

The UNICORE project is designed to address these challenges by offering refugees the opportunity to arrive in Italy safely and with dignity to pursue their studies and rebuild their future, aspiring to a profession in line with their potentials and desires. It also aims to achieve a 15% enrollment rate in tertiary education for refugees by 2030.

The application deadline is April 15, 2024, and candidates can apply through the dedicated UNICORE 6.0 webpage.

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