Padua’s University and Municipality sign a memorandum of understanding for the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers

19.07.2024

University and Municipality of Padua sign a memorandum of understanding for the reception and inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers in university training courses. The signed memorandum defines and strengthens the institutional framework of collaboration between the subjects involved and remains open to other public, central, and local institutions, as well as to the membership of other civil society organizations.

The agreement aims to share and support enrollment opportunities in university studies for applicants and holders of international protection. The goal is to promote access to university studies for those who have not been able to continue their studies in their own country by including and integrating them into the local and national socio-cultural fabric. Holders of international protection asylum permits include subsidiary protection, special protection, and medical care, while those requesting asylum have access to SAI (Sistema di accoglienza e integrazione) programs. 

The memorandum of understanding commitments to implement specific projects. The Municipality, in collaboration with the services of the University of Padua, will disseminate information on the opportunities offered both to the asylum seeker and refugee population to the foreign population in general, and to second-generation residents. The University "Padova Per" web portal offers access to news on the services present in the city, initiatives carried out in collaboration with educational institutions, and those offered by the Commission for the representation of people from Padua with foreign citizenship (Commissione per la rappresentanza delle persone padovane con cittadinanza straniera).

The University is committed to promoting study opportunities through initiatives including orientation days, online and in-person information sessions, preparation of accessible online and paper information material, online and in-person helpdesk as well as support for enrolling in courses and accessing university services.

Both signatory bodies will promote and disseminate the contents and objectives of the memorandum of understanding to involve other entities.

" In recent years, the University has implemented many actions to support populations at risk - underlines Professor Cristina Basso, vice-rector with responsibility for International Relations at the University of Padua - by awarding 124 scholarships through the Unipd4 Afghanistan, Unipd4Ukraine, Unipd4Myanmar, UNICORE, and Students at risk, welcoming and supporting students benefiting from the scholarships and interacting with numerous local actors who share the same commitment and interest. In particular, the collaboration with the Municipality of Padua was launched positively for the reception and inclusion in the territory of Afghan citizens arriving in Italy starting from August 2021.

The comparison between the University and the Municipality of Padua then focused on the people hosted in the municipal reception network, discovering that very few look at the opportunity of training at a university institution as a tool for integration into Italian society.

The need therefore emerged to stipulate a memorandum of understanding aimed at structuring the collaboration between the University and the Municipality of Padua to disseminate information about the opportunities offered by the University to the asylum seeker and refugee population. This will take place through online and in-person information sessions, the preparation of online and paper information material, and an online and in-person desk."