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On World Refugee Day, Bocconi University announces a step forward in its drive for the right to study and global inclusion: from the next academic year, five scholarships will be granted to refugees through the UNICORE program, with the goal of doubling them in the coming years

In a world where more than 100 million people are forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution and environmental crises, the right to education is often denied to those who would need it most. In this global challenge, Bocconi is committed to doing its part with a concrete and growing involvement.

Since 2021, the university has been participating in the UNICORE - University Corridors for Refugees program, promoted by UNHCR with a broad institutional and social partnership, with the aim of offering young refugees the opportunity to access a master’s degree program in Italy through safe and regular university corridors.

“The university is, and must be, an open space, welcoming talent where it originates, even in the most precarious contexts. Our commitment to refugees is an integral part of Bocconi’s mission,” says Rector Francesco Billari. “Starting from the academic year 2025/26 we will offer five full scholarships for UNICORE students, with the goal of reaching ten in the coming years. Because building knowledge also means building the future, everywhere.”

To date, there are nine refugee students currently enrolled in Bocconi MSc programs through UNICORE, from countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique and Malawi. From the 2025/26 edition, applicants will be eligible to access all of the university’s MSc programs, with the exception of double degrees, testifying to an ever-increasing openness. And the numbers confirm a growing interest: more than 200 applications were filed for the five available positions, with highly competitive profiles.

UNICORE complements the Bocconi Inclusion Programs, a broader initiative that, in addition to refugee students, supports high-potential girls and boys from highly disadvantaged backgrounds in Sub-Saharan Africa, selected with the support of local organizations. Overall, for A.Y. 2025/26 there will be 27 students supported by these inclusive programs (there were 4 of them in 2022/23), a growth that testifies to the university’s willingness to put access to knowledge at the core of its social responsibility.

A UNICORE scholarship guarantees students not only total exemption from tuition fees, but also housing, a meal plan, annual pocket money, technical devices and personalized medical, psychological and academic support. In collaboration with NGOs such as Caritas and Diaconia Valdese, cultural support and legal and bureaucratic assistance is also offered.

“Inclusion for us is not just a label, but a daily process that takes shape in students’ lives. And it is also thanks to the support of our donors that we can look to the future with ambition,” Rector Billari concludes. “In just under a month, we will have our first 3 UNICORE graduates: a milestone that is only the beginning.”

 

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