Today, 2 March 2026, sees the launch of the new calls for applications for the 78 scholarships made available by 41 Italian universities as part of the eighth edition of the UNICORE – University Corridors for Refugees project, which is coordinated by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The University of Pisa is participating in UNICORE 8.0 once again, reaffirming its dedication to this initiative, which facilitates legal and secure pathways for refugee students to enrol in master’s programmes in Italy.
The 78 students selected will be able to continue their academic studies in Italy by attending a two-year master’s degree course. Selection will be based on merit and motivation, with arrival in Italy scheduled for September 2026. Since its inception in 2019, the UNICORE project has enabled over 300 refugee students to access university education in Italy in a regular and protected manner. This offers a concrete alternative to dangerous journeys organised by traffickers, while strengthening the role of universities as spaces for inclusion and international cooperation.
The University of Pisa’s involvement in UNICORE 8.0
With the call for applications for the eighth edition, the University of Pisa is committed to selecting and welcoming, from the 2026/27 academic year, a student who has been granted international protection certified by the UNHCR and is currently residing in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia or Zimbabwe.
The English-language master’s degree programmes at the University of Pisa that are participating in the call for applications are Computer Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering, Cybersecurity, Data Science and Business Informatics, Engineering of Paper and Cardboard, Materials and Nanotechnology, Nuclear Engineering, Computer Science, Economics, Communications Engineering, Exploration and Applied Geophysics, and Bionics Engineering.
Participation in UNICORE 8.0 forms part of an established programme; the University of Pisa has participated in all seven previous editions of the project. Starting from the 2020/21 academic year, UNICORE 2.0 has enabled the university to welcome two refugee students from Ethiopia. One of them graduated with a master’s degree in Exploration and Applied Geophysics in October 2023, while the other graduated in Computer Science and Networking on 23 February 2024. Starting in the 2024/25 academic year, with edition 6.0, the University of Pisa also welcomed a refugee student from Uganda who is currently enrolled on the English-taught master’s degree programme in Cybersecurity.
Considering the results achieved and the positive experience gained, the University of Pisa is renewing its commitment to the project, helping to strengthen university corridors as a concrete tool for access to higher education, inclusion and skills development.
The call for applications will close on 17 April. For more information on the courses and selection procedures, please refer to the dedicated page on the University website or the UNICORE project page.
The University Corridors for Refugees programme is coordinated by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and is made possible through the collaboration of partners such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Caritas Italiana, Diaconia Valdese, Centro Astalli, Fondazione Finanza Etica, Gandhi Charity, Consorzio Communitas, and Campus X, as well as a wide network of local organisations that provide support to students in completing their studies and integrating into society.
