Only 7% of refugees globally have access to higher education.
(Source: UNHCR Education Report 2024)
To facilitate the access of individuals who have been granted international protection status to university education and research, promote their social integration and active participation in academic life, UNHCR proposed the Manifesto for an Inclusive University (MUI) to Italian universities.
MUI priority actions:
- recognition of foreign qualifications for admissions;
- student support and benefits;
- support measures to foster the inclusion of refugees in the academic environment and tools to enhance their participation;
- support measures to enhance the inclusion of refugees in local communities;
- career service;
- the UNICORE Project – University Humanitarian Corridors
“Il Manifesto dell’Università Inclusiva: tra ricerca sociale e servizi per l’apprendimento permanente”
UNHCR & RUIAP | 26th September 2024, Università LUMSA, Roma
Program and Slides
Book of abstracts (PDF)
REPORT MUI 2023
Presentation of the National Survey 2023 addressed to students with international or complementary protection and asylum seekers
MUI falls within the framework of the Global Compact on Refugees and the EU Strategy for Excellence and Inclusive Universities and the National Integration Plan.
Giornata mondiale del rifugiato 2025
Il perdurare ed inasprirsi dei conflitti, la crisi climatica, le complesse e pericolose interrelazioni tra questi ed i loro effetti secondari,
come l’insicurezza alimentare, costringono oggi oltre 120 milioni di persone a lasciare le proprie case per cercare sicurezza e protezione.
Integration between challenges and opportunities. A study of socio-economic conditions of refugees in Italy: primo studio quantitativo in Italia sul tema realizzato nel 2025 da UNHCR in collaborazione con Lattanzio KIBS e FIERI
per aiutare a pianificare e/o riorientare le politiche e gli interventi per l’integrazione delle persone rifugiate e, allo stesso tempo, fornire una baseline per misurarne il loro impatto. L'indagine, svolta alla fine del 2023 in 16 province italiane, ha coinvolto 1.200 persone. I risultati rivelano che un’importante percentuale dei beneficiari di protezione internazionale e temporanea vive sotto la soglia di povertà assoluta e relativa. La combinazione di impiego precario, bassa conoscenza della lingua, condizioni abitative inadeguate e accesso limitato al welfare crea una situazione di instabilità, rendendo difficile per loro sottrarsi a questa condizione.
Programma Welcome. Working for Refugee Integration
The UNICORE Project
The UNICORE university humanitarian corridors project is the MUI's initiative designed to enable refugee students to arrive in Italy in a regular and safe manner to pursue their studies by attending a university Master’s degree programme.
A total of 40 Italian universities (see map) , including Univr, will take part in the sixth edition of the UNICORE - University corridors for Refugees project to provide 68 refugees with the opportunity of continuing their academic path in Italy. Students who are currently refugees residing in Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe will be selected according to merit and motivation through a public call that will be opened from the 1st of March, and will arrive in Italy in September. The project, which was launched in 2019 as a pilot phase, has been expanding in the years that followed, through new editions and by supporting a growing number of refugee students.
The 51 refugees from Africa, who will continue their studies in the Italian Universities adhering to the project.
In order to guarantee appropriate reception and inclusion standards, the Project is based on a national partnership, comprised of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, UNHCR, Caritas Italiana, Diaconia Valdese, Centro Astalli and the member universities, with the support of local partners.
UNICORE 6.0
The sixth edition of the UNICORE – University corridors for Refugees project. An initiative promoted by UNHCR to give the opportunity to 40 refugees to come to Italy safely and legally in other to continue their studies.
The Manifesto for an Inclusive University (MUI) and the UNICORE Project at the University of Verona
Univr Action Plan for the Manifesto for an Inclusive University (MUI) – Support for students granted international protection status and asylum seekersAs part of the Welcome and Inclusion strategy line, the University of Verona has joined the Manifesto for an Inclusive University (MUI) on 21 January 2020 to take part in the working groups and priority initiatives of the project.
What does reception mean to you? Video MUI Project 2024 short version and long version
On 26 July 2022 the Univr Action Plan for the Manifesto for an Inclusive University was approved (see Academic Senate) 
WHO’S IT FOR: students who have been granted international protection status and asylum seekers already enrolled at UNIVR or wishing to apply for a degree programme at the University.
STARTING FROM: A.Y. 2022-2023
MAIN GOAL: support for students granted international protection status and asylum seekers through actions and services aimed at facilitating their access to university education, continuation of studies, career service and active participation in academic life and community.
The project aims to achieve the goals of MUI by considering the features of the local context and the importance of coordination with local institutions and associations.
Services and actions:
- evaluation of foreign qualifications for admissions;
- extension of exemption from university fees for those who have been granted international protection status and asylum seekers;
- guidance/mentoring services aimed at supporting students in making an informed choice about University, and administrative support;
- support measures to foster the inclusion of refugees in the academic and local communities;
- career service and job orientation;
- involvement of students granted international protection status and asylum seekers to understand their specific needs and encourage their active participation in academic life.
Contact us: mui@ateneo.univr.it
Article on Univrmagazine
Webinar - Recruiting Day Verona, in collaboration with MUI UniVr
18 October 2022
The UNICORE Project at the University of Verona
On the 3st of March 2025 the call for the UNI.CO.RE 7.0 edition was published
The University of Verona has joined the UNI-CO-RE – University Corridors for Refugees project as part of the actions and network of the Manifesto for an Inclusive University proposed by UNHCR.
The University of Verona, along with partners, contributes with Unicore to a project whose cornerstones are reception, motivation and merit, and it implements the general strategy for University reception and inclusion, which falls within the framework of the Global Compact on Refugees and the EU Strategy for excellence and inclusive universities.
In the framework of MUI, the University of Verona has joined the UNICORE Project and it has taken part in the last four editions: UNICORE 3.0 (as approved by the University’s Senate and Board of Governors on 28-29 January 2021), UNICORE 4.0 (as approved by the University’s Senate and Board of Governors on 22 February 2022), UNICORE 5.0 (as approved by the University’s Senate and Board of Governors on 28 March 2023) e UNICORE 6.0 (as approved by the University’s Senate and Board of Governors on 30 January 2024) providing scholarship benefits on each edition.
In the academic years 2022/2023 and 2023-2024, a refugee student in Zambia, originally from Congo, was awarded a scholarship granted by the University of Verona on the 1st of April 2022 as part of UNICORE 4.0. The student was admitted to the international master degree in Molecular and Medical Biotechnology.
In the academic years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025, through a call published on 3 April 2023, for the UNI.CO.RE 5.0 edition, a refugee student in Kenya originally from South Sudan was selected on the basis of merit and motivation. The student was admitted to the international master degree in Economics and data Analysis.
In the academic years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026, through a call published on 15 April 2024, for the UNI.CO.RE 6.0 edition, a refugee student in Uganda originally from Somalia was selected on the basis of merit and motivation. The student was admitted to the international master degree in Artificial Intelligence. (press release).
The sixth edition of “Unicore, University Corridors for Refugees” begins.
Read on Univrmagazine
Caritas Diocesana Veronese
Camera Avvocati Immigrazionisti del Triveneto (CAIT)
Cestim
Cesaim
Diaconia Valdese CSD
Comune di Verona
Assessorato alla Cultura e alle Pari Opportunità
Comunità Ebraica di Verona e Vicenza
ESU Verona
Fondazione Nigrizia
Migrantes – Centro Pastorale Immigrati
Unione delle Comunità ebraiche italiane 
Unione delle Comunità Islamiche d'Italia
One bridge to Idomeni
Istituto della Carità del Sacro Cuore
Suore di Don Nicola Mazza
Fondazione Biondani Ravetta ONLUS
Contact us
MUI – Manifesto for an Inclusive University, University of Verona
mui@ateneo.univr.it
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Via Leopardi, 24, 00185 Roma