Manifesto on an Inclusive University

According to the latest United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates, only 5% of refugees today have access to higher education compared to the global average of 38%. To overcome these challenges, the UNHCR has encouraged Italian Universities to adhere to the Manifesto on an Inclusive University, a framework document which helps to facilitate refugees’ access to university education with the aim of promoting their social integration and active participation in academic life.

The founding principles of the Manifesto are equality and non-discrimination which are implemented with actions of:

• Hospitality
• Knowledge
• Integration
• Appreciation of diversity

Bocconi University adhered to the Manifesto in May 2023, continuing its longtime commitment to several initiatives aimed at the concrete realization of these values, through programs mainly dedicated to the inclusion of refugee students. Among these projects, the University joined the UNICORE program in partnership with UNHCR in 2021, geared towards African refugee students, by advocating for the creation of “University Corridors”. Further initiatives in favor of refugees and temporarily protected persons, such as Ukrainian students, have been launched in the last few years by our University.

In adhering to the Manifesto, Rector Francesco Billari emphasized that supporting such an initiative contributes to the fulfillment of the “Third Mission”, enhancing the social, cultural and economic development of society through education.