Milan is more and more international, starting from its universities
More than five thousand university students from other countries are involved in the project launched last year by the City of Milan, the Chamber of Commerce and the universities. Thanks to the Milan ID Card, international students and researchers are entitled to a number of benefits – including reductions in museums, one free Trenord train ticket to visit one city in Lombardy and a half-price first fare on the Malpensa Express – listed on the portal www.studyinmilan.net. "This initiative is a further step towards the definition of an international profile of the city", says Cristina Tajani, Councillor for Employment, Economic Development, University and Research of the City of Milan. International students can also benefit from support in terms of housing, Visas and the choice of their course.
While in 2014 only Bocconi, Politecnico and Università degli Studi di Milano participated in the agreement, also Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Università Cattolica, IULM, Università Vita – Salute San Raffaele, NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti Milano e Domus Academy, Humanitas University, IED – Istituto Europeo di Design and Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera have now adhered to the convention, signed this morning.
Says Bruno Pavesi, Chief Executive of Università Bocconi: "Being an international university involves much more than simply offering courses delivered in English. Bocconi plays an international role by acting not only on the educational programmes, but also on the three components of its community (students, professors and staff) and by creating a suitable context in terms of services and cultural inputs. Thus, the initiative is crucial for Milan and its universities, insofar as it provides the basis to become a more and more attractive target for the talented, regardless of their passport."
According to the survey carried out by the Chamber of Commerce on 250 international students, the most popular requests included reductions dedicated to university students, the possibility to participate in fashion and design events, assistance for public transport, mobility and housing, linguistic support and a better diffusion of English, creation of areas for socializing. More than 35% answered yes to the question "Would you live in Milan" (31% said "maybe yes"), while 57% would advise a friend to study in Milan. An interesting fact is the rise in the number of visitors, and, particularly, of those who return to Milan after having been here before (88% more between 31 December 2014 and 31 May 2015).