During a ceremony held on September 9th in Aula Magna Storica at Palazzo della Sapienza, the University of Pisa welcomed the first students who have arrived in Pisa to attend the Foundation Course.
Welcoming the students on behalf of the Rector was Professor Giovanni Federico Gronchi, Vice-Rector for Cooperation and International Relations, along with Professor Michele Burrello, Director of the Foundation Course Science track, Professor Carlotta Ferrara degli Uberti, incoming Director of the Foundation Course Humanities track, and Professor Marianne Hepp, Director of the University Language Centre. Representing the staff of the International Cooperation Unit, coordinated by Dr. Paola Cappellini, were Dr. Gaia Pegoraro and Dr. Adio Terranova.
The Welcome Day is part of a full week of orientation activities organized by the University for students enrolled in the program. These activities include visits to some university libraries and the botanical garden, as well as a guided tour of major landmarks in the historic center of Pisa.
The Foundation Course has become a well-established part of the University’s academic offerings, growing year by year. The current edition includes over two hundred students from more than thirty countries.
The program lasts one academic year, and students can choose from three tracks—Science, Humanities, and one for native Italian speakers—and ten different elective courses.
Courses within the Foundation Course are taught in English, but significant emphasis is also placed on learning Italian, which is taught by instructors from the University Language Centre.
