The Right to Study that Wins Over War

WITH SPECIFIC INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS, SUCH AS THE 'FORCED MIGRANT STUDENTS', BOCCONI UNIVERSITY STANDS BESIDE STUDENTS AND COMMUNITIES WHO MUST FLEE THEIR COUNTRY. BECAUSE INCLUSION ALSO MEANS SUPPORT FOR THOSE WHO DENIED THE CHOICE TO MOVE FREELY

Inclusiveness is an inherent value of Bocconi University that takes form every year in welcoming, supporting and enhancing a community of people composed of 124 nationalities, with diversity of gender, religion, culture and experience, in the belief that the richness of an institution is enhanced by diversity.  With this spirit and commitment, the University intervenes to support not only those who have chosen, but also those who have been forced to leave their country and thus risk not being able to conclude their course of study.  This is the case of the various initiatives to support the 'forced migrant students', initiatives that in recent months have opened the doors of the University to 12 Ukrainian students, 2 Afghan students and will open them in the coming weeks to 3 refugee students in Malawi, Cameroon and Mozambique who will come to Bocconi through the UNICORE project.  To these projects are added others that broaden the range of action not only to students, but to the entire Ukrainian community in Milan: the Ukrainian Community Empowering Program of Bocconi with UASI, the legal support unit created within the Bocconi Lab in European Studies (BLEST) in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.



"Forced migrants are among the most marginalised groups in society that face uncertain futures. Providing some of them with the opportunity to study allows them to build a better future”, says Catherine De Vries, Bocconi Dean for Diversity and Inclusion. “I am very proud that the Bocconi community has committed itself to a forced migrant students initiative."

Ukraine. 12 university students have been welcomed in recent months, with the aim of allowing them to continue their studies: of these, 8 participated in the Bocconi summer school, while 4 are currently visiting students for the academic year 22/23, with tuition, meals and accommodation paid by the University.  Among them is Vira Turchyn, 19 years old in her third year in Actuarial and Financial Mathematics at the National Technical University of Ukraine, who fled Kyiv at the outbreak of the conflict: "The war has turned the plans of millions of people in Ukraine and other European countries upside down. My family is no exception, and I had to think about how to continue my education," Vira recounts.  "I am happy that thanks to Bocconi University, I will be able to spend the next year studying at one of the best universities in Italy. My dream is to return home and help my country to restore the economy, applying the knowledge that I can get at Bocconi."

Afghanistan. A warm welcome and a full scholarship also for two students who fled the country following the reconquest of power by the Taliban. These two young people, Fatima Haidari, from Herat, and a young man from Kabul, are currently enrolled in the first year of Bocconi's Bachelor in International Politics and Government.  "I never imagined I could get into Bocconi when I was a seven year-old shepherd or when I used to practice reading and writing on the sands in Afghanistan, but I believed in the beauty of my dreams," Fatima explains.  "I didn't walk an easy path to get here because I had to fight for very basic rights that most  students grow up with, so I am truly grateful for the opportunity that Bocconi has given me. I will keep trying my best to build a future as nice as my dreams. For me Bocconi is a great win, after the great loss I had to go through because of the Taliban."

Africa.  The Bocconi is also part of the University Corridors for Refugees (UNICORE)  project carried out with UNHCR, Caritas, Diaconia Valdese and 32 Italian universities. As part of this project, three students are arriving from Malawi, Cameroon and Mozambique who are  refugees there because they are fleeing their country of origin.  Among them, one student will begin the Master of Science in  Marketing Management, the other two the MSc in Economics and Management of Government and International Organizations.  Dikonzo Akili Alembe, who will study at GIO: "As a refugee from DRC living in a refugee camp for more than ten years, I never thought I would pursue higher education and attend a prestigious university like Bocconi through this amazing scholarship. My scholarship to Bocconi University means a lot to me. It means empowerment because I now feel empowered. It is also my career booster as my two years here will equip me with the knowledge and skills that I need to stand out in the job market and be successful in my career."

by Andrea Celauro