Supporting talent and safeguarding Research: Unipd’s Action Plan for the international academic community
25.02.2026
The University of Padua is strengthening its commitment to internationalisation and to protecting the right to education through a comprehensive action plan aimed at the international academic community. Through excellence scholarships, government-funded programmes and initiatives dedicated to people at risk, the University reaffirms its international outlook and its commitment to solidarity.
For the 2026/2027 academic year, the Padua International Excellence Scholarships call is being renewed, offering up to 69 scholarships for the most outstanding candidates admitted to international degree programmes taught in English. The scholarship, worth €8,000 per year, also includes a full tuition fee waiver and covers the entire range of degree programmes delivered in English.
The effectiveness of the University’s internationalisation strategies is also reflected in national programmes. In the 2025/2026 academic year, the University of Padua was awarded 12% of the 1,060 scholarships granted to international students and Italian citizens residing abroad (IRE), funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. In addition, the University received 19% of the 74 scholarships available under the high-level training project “Invest Your Talent in Italy”.
Alongside the promotion of excellence, the University confirms its commitment to social responsibility through the “Unipd 4 People at Risk” programme, which supports refugee students, researchers and scholars, asylum seekers, and individuals who face situations of risk in their home countries. For 2026, 13 “Students at Risk” scholarships will be offered, each worth €12,000 per year (gross amount) and including a tuition fee waiver, as well as 6 “Scholars at Risk” fellowships worth €36,866.36 (gross amount) for a period of twelve months.
The University also continues to participate in the UNICORE 8.0 project (University Corridors for Refugees), promoted by UNHCR Italy in coordination with Caritas and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, together with a network of national and local partners. Within this framework, the University will offer four scholarships to young refugees from 14 target countries. The support package includes a tuition fee waiver, accommodation and meal coverage, reimbursement of academic expenses and an annual pocket money allowance of €4,800.
Through these measures, the University of Padua reaffirms its role as an open and inclusive institution, committed to fostering talent and safeguarding academic freedom worldwide.
