Partners

UNHCR will have a coordinating role together with other national partners and will support dialogue among relevant institutional representatives in Italy and Ethiopia. In addition, in Ethiopia it will facilitate the dissemination of the project among refugee communities and the issuance of travel documents to selected refugees.

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will be involved in processing study visa applications and other documents that may be necessary for university admission.

Caritas Italiana, the pastoral body of the Italian Episcopal Conference, will support the selected students in pre-departure activities in Ethiopia and will assist them once they arrive in Italy.

First of all, it will focus on the dissemination of the project in order to reach the widest audience of potentially interested refugees. After the students are selected by the universities, Caritas Italiana, through the operational collaboration of the Gandhi Association, will cover their pre-departure expenses including transport and medical visits and provide administrative and logistical support. It will also cover travel expenses from Ethiopia to Italy.

In Italy, through the network of diocesan Caritas, it will welcome the students and actively support them during the integration process in the local community, in collaboration with the universities.

Diaconia Valdese provides its experience in the field of asylum seeker- and refugee- reception in order to support students coming to Italy with the UNICORE project.
Each student is assigned a personal social worker who has the task of providing support for the entire duration of the University course.
Diaconia Valdese, through its national network of services and social centres, facilitates the access of migrants and foreigners to local services and provides them with legal advice, social secretariat, cultural and linguistic mediation and psychological support. It also promotes participation in cultural, recreational and social activities to encourage social inclusion and knowledge of the host cities. Moreover, thanks to specific fundraising campaigns, it offers students monthly pocket money to cover personal expenditures, subscription to local transport and telephone bills; last but not least, it provides necessary items for studying.
The activities are coordinated by a project manager coordinates all and his role is to facilitate the connection at national level with Universities, project partners and local workers, thus ensuring the sustainability and continuity of the actions for the entire project timeline.

Gandhi Charity will provide support to students in Ethiopia, with their application process and administrative procedures with respect to the Universities and the Italian embassy in Addis Abeba. Furthermore, Gandhi Charity will help the beneficiary students undergo medical check-ups and make the necessary internal logistical arrangements. Gandhi Charity through its operators in Ethiopia will serve as a point of reference for the selected students, to provide the necessary assistance during preparation for their departure to Italy.

Centro Astalli is the Italian Country office of the Jesuit Refugee Service. Since 1981, it has been committed to serve, accompany, and advocate for refugees in Rome and Italy. Currently, it acts through a network of associations in eight Italian cities. Centro Astalli supports the project accompanying beneficiaries after they arrive in Italy: it will focus on welcoming students and directly support them during their stay in the local community, favoring their social inclusion and integration in close collaboration with the different Universities.