The International Office has been involved for years in the Integration Project, an initiative aimed at making the University of Pisa a more welcoming environment for international students, both from Europe and the rest of the world.
Through a range of dedicated activities and services, the project helps students integrate into academic and social life, offering them support and opportunities for personal growth. Some of the most important initiatives include:
- orientation meetings – designed to provide practical and academic information
- intercultural events – promote dialogue between students of different nationalities
- international festivals, opportunities for sharing and discovering the various cultures within the University.
The aim is to create a dynamic and inclusive environment where every student can feel like an active part of the university community in Pisa.
Orientation meetings
Orientation meetings are held in the first semester of each academic year, usually between September and November, to welcome new international students, providing them with useful information on the logistical, administrative and socio-cultural aspects of the path they are about to embark on.
For these students, leaving their country, adapting to new lifestyles, living far away from family and friends, discovering unknown places and being constantly exposed to a foreign language represent a significant challenge.
Even in the academic context, students may encounter significant challenges. For this reason, the staff of the International Office considers it essential to offer concrete support, creating a welcoming network that helps students feel less lonely and integrate into this new reality.
The orientation meetings have three objectives:
- Knowledge – the staff of the International Office works actively to promote connections among new international students, encouraging their mutual interaction.
- Information – students receive explanations on logistical and administrative aspects, both academic (such as building location, CartaPiù services, academic calendar) and related to everyday life (emergency numbers, museums, cinemas, theatres). Furthermore, they are encouraged to ask questions and interact with the staff, with whom they can stay in touch throughout their time in Pisa.
- Awareness – feelings of loneliness and nostalgia are common, especially among younger students who are abroad for the first time, in a new environment and with a different language. To face these difficulties, the staff is supported by the tutors of the Counselling Centre, who take part in meetings and help students in case of need.
Intercultural meetings
The staff of the International Office regularly organises meetings dedicated to presenting students’ countries of origin. During these events, students talk about their culture, focusing on language, religion, traditions and customs. They also prepare typical dishes to share with those present, offering an authentic taste of their culinary tradition.
Among the meetings held over the years, noteworthy ones include those dedicated to Vietnam (October 2016), Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (February 2017), Azerbaijan (March 2017), Mongolia (May 2017), Morocco (July 2018), Chile and Peru (February 2019),Egypt (December 2019),Indonesia (October 2022).
International Festival
The staff of the International Office organises a festival to which all international students of the University are invited twice a year, in December and May. The aim is to share food, music, dances and cultural aspects of different geographical traditions.
In previous editions of the festival, students from more than twenty different countries participated, including Vietnam, China, Korea, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Albania, Switzerland, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and many others.
During the festival, each participant is invited to bring a typical food from their own country. Alongside the culinary aspect, the countries of origin are presented through pictures, videos and traditional music, offering everyone the opportunity to discover the curiosities and peculiarities of the different countries.
The event ends in the night with the performances of the students, who often entertain the audience with typical dances from their cultural tradition.
International festivals are an opportunity to meet and get to know each other, where students can step out of their comfort zone and overcome the fear of speaking and performing in front of a large audience.
