The University of Pisa is involved, along with other Italian universities, in the University Corridors for Refugee Students Project, promoted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
With the Rector’s Decree n. 247/2026 is launched the call for applications UNICORE 8.0 for the selection of 1 refugee student from Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, holding a qualification suitable for admission to English-language Master’s Degree Courses, will be open on 02/03/2026.
The student selected based on merit criteria will receive financial support from the visa issuance and entry into Italy, continuing throughout the normal duration of the degree course.
The Project includes the direct involvement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Italian Caritas, the Waldensian Evangelical Church, the Centro Astalli, the Ghandi Charity, as well as the participation of other local institutions.
It aims to consolidate and strengthen a legal and safe entry channel to facilitate the access of refugees to university education in Italy and to promote their social integration and active participation in academic life, in line with the Global Compact on Refugees and the Inclusive University Manifesto, promoted by UNHCR and signed by the University of Pisa.
Advantages
The student selected by the UNI-CO-RE 8.0 project will receive support for:
- pre-registration at the Italian Embassy and immigration procedures;
- the admission procedure for the English-language Master’s Degree Courses of the University of Pisa that have joined the initiative, and listed in the UNICORE’s website;
- integration into university life and local community.
Furthermore, they will receive financial support which consists of:
- full coverage of expenses incurred before arriving in Italy (e.g. visa application and preparation of supporting documents will be covered by Italian Caritas and airline tickets will be covered by the University of Pisa)
- a total scholarship amount of EUR 18,000 (awarded every two years and paid in monthly instalments) covered by the University of Pisa in accordance with the merit requirements indicated in the call for application;
- support for applying to the annual call for scholarships and accommodation of the Diritto allo studio universitario – DSU Toscana
- complete exemption from university fees and contributions
- support in finding shared accommodation from arrival until at least December 2026
- free Italian-language course and the opportunity to attend other language courses for free in collaboration with the University Language Centre (CLI)
- support from the International Office and the Buddy service to facilitate integration into the life and community of local students
- additional support from local partners signing the cooperation agreement.
Requirements
You can only apply if:
- you reside in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and have obtained refugee status recognition in these countries in cooperation with UNHCR
- you hold a valid qualification, issued by a duly accredited university in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, that allows you to continue your studies in your chosen second cycle. The qualification must be obtained between 2021 and by 28 February 2026 with a GPA of at least 3.0 according to the tertiary education grading system of the country where the title was obtained or equivalent according to the conversion table of the Ministry of Education, University and Research
- you are interested in enrolling in a Master’s Degree Course at the University of Pisa delivered in English and you have specific admission requirements
- you have never been enrolled in a degree course at one of the partner universities.
Knowledge of the English language is required.
How and when to participate
The application request, along with all the documentation, must be sent only through the UNICORE website.
- Publication of the call: 2 March 2026
- Application deadline: 17 April 2026
- Publication of final results: 22 June 2026
Call and attachments
Selection Call UNICORE 8.0: University Corridors for Refugees
Watch the video presentation of the Unicore Project
The Selection process
The selection process is divided into two stages:
− Stage 1: Assessment of documentation
− Stage 2: Online interview
During the first phase, the Committee of Experts evaluated the candidate’s documentation according to the following criteria:
– Academic background and Grade Point Average – GPA;
– CV Evaluation: professional experience and personal skills;
– Coherence between previous studies and selected Second Cycle Degree programme and personal motivation.
At the end was drawn up the following ranking list of the candidates admitted to the second stage:
RANKING LIST
All candidates admitted to stage two will be notified by email and will have to attend an interview in English with the Committee of Experts who will assess their motivation, technical and educational skills and competences as well as their English language proficiency.
The interviews were conducted on May 27th, 2026, and took place online. Only candidates with a minimum total score of 50 out of 80 points were included in the final ranking.
Following the completion of this evaluation (Phase 2), the following provisional ranking of eligible candidates was drawn up. In any case, candidates are placed on this list on a provisional basis, pending the verification of their academic credentials, which will be conducted at a later stage. The final ranking will be established after the completion of the verification process and will be based on the combined scores obtained in Phase 1 and Phase 2.
Subsequently, the Committee of Experts completed the evaluation process and established the final ranking list and then by rectoral decree No. 866/2026 of June 25th 2026, the final ranking list was approved and was defined the selected candidate.
FINAL RANKING LIST
Call from past years
Selection Call UNICORE 6.0: University Corridors For Refugees
Selection Call UNICORE 4.0: University Corridors for Refugees (Unipi 2022-2024)
Selection Call UNICORE 2.0: University Corridors for Refugees (Unipi 2020-2022)
