From today, young Palestinians can apply for UnicalPass – Unical for Palestinian Students Scholarships, a program activated by the University of Calabria which offers five scholarships aimed at attending the university’s international master’s degree courses for the academic year 2025/2026. UnicalPass – it is written in a note from the university – was born as a concrete gesture of solidarity and cooperation, with the aim of promoting the right to study, access to higher education and personal growth in a context of intercultural dialogue and integration. Thanks to this program, the University of Calabria strengthens its international vocation, increasingly characterizing itself as a place of meeting and social responsibility.
«We are aware of the difficulties that will accompany this initiative, in particular in relation to the need to activate humanitarian corridors for the actual arrival of Palestinian students in Calabria. However, we believe it is essential to offer our contribution with responsibility and generosity – states the rector of the University of Calabria, Gianluigi Greco -. We believe that even a small gesture can make a big difference: it is not just economic support, but a social and cultural investment. The stories of freedom and courage of Palestinian students remind us how higher education is sometimes also a privilege, a powerful tool of emancipation, dialogue and hope. For us it is an act of moral responsibility to support these young lives, to help build bridges of knowledge and to open up real opportunities for study and the future.”
The five scholarships are aimed at candidates residing in the Palestinian territories, who intend to enroll in one of the international master’s degree courses active in the Engineering and Technology, Health Sciences, Sciences and Socio-Economic areas. Each scholarship provides overall support worth 12,000 euros per year, which includes total exemption from university fees, free room and board, health coverage, travel expenses, a free Italian language and culture course and a personal contribution of 7,500 euros per academic year. It is concrete and complete help, which accompanies students in all phases of their educational path and integration into university life. “This program represents a first, important signal of the attention that the University of Calabria reserves for students arriving from war contexts – says Donatella Loprieno, delegate for access and support of refugee students – Offering them a concrete opportunity to study means recognizing the right to education and supporting those who, despite difficult conditions, continue to believe in the power of knowledge”.
