The UNICORE Project (University Corridors for Refugees) program of UNHCR - United Nations Refugee Agency

The UNICORE (University Corridors for Refugees) Project is the UNHCR – United Nations Refugee Agency program that, since 2019, has allowed refugee students to complete their master's degrees at Italian universities.

By 2025, 45 Italian universities have joined the project. UNICORE represents a concrete opportunity to build the future of young people living in crisis-stricken areas, offering them security and prospects.

The Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, through its International Relations Office and the coordination of the Delegate for Humanitarian Policies and International Cooperation, has been participating in the program for two editions and is preparing to begin the procedures for the UNICORE 8.0 edition.

In the UNICORE 6.0 edition, three refugee students in Uganda were selected: Elias Ashiek, Yahya Mohamed Yahya Abdalla, from South Sudan, and Michael Okot Barnabas Okello, from Sudan, who are currently attending the second year of the Master's Degree in Agricultural Technology Sciences.

The call for applications for the UNICORE 7.0 edition included two scholarships for female students and one scholarship for male students. Aya Susan, from South Sudan, and Mikael Tedros Goytom, from Eritrea, have chosen to study the Master's Degree in Mediterranean Agricultural Production Sciences, coordinated by Professor Gregorio Gullo. Sunday Evelyne Morris, from South Sudan, has chosen to study the Master's Degree in Food Quality and Safety Sciences, coordinated by Professor Amalia Piscopo. A key figure in academic activities at the Department of Agriculture is Professor Souraya Benalia, who, along with all the faculty, is committed to supporting the students on their journey.

The students, fully aligned with their study programs, were also included in the Erasmus programs for international activities.

Access to university education for young refugees is often the main reason for their irregular flight from their countries of origin, in an attempt to pursue a dream "that goes beyond all imagination," as Elias Ashiek explained in his particularly significant speech, given at the invitation of the Rector at the Inauguration of the Academic Year of the Mediterranea University.

Providing access to education is not just about ensuring protection, but also about promoting dignity, independence, and the opportunity to actively contribute to their host communities. Being a UNICORE student means much more than receiving a scholarship: it represents a concrete opportunity to build a dignified and secure future.

The UNICORE Project staff, coordinated by Professor Paola Raffa, Chair of the UNESCO Mediterranean Landscapes in the Context of Emergency Chair and Rector's Delegate for Humanitarian Policies and International Cooperation, is strengthened each year with the support of Professor Paolo Fuschi, Vice-Rector for Internationalization and Foreign Student Attraction Strategies, and with the contribution of all the administrative staff of the International Relations Office. 

The dialogue with the Student Services Department, the Vice Rector for Teaching, Professor Antonio Vitetta, the Delegate for the Right to Education, Professor Antonio Taccone, and all related administrative staff, is enriched.

The Diocesan Caritas of Reggio Calabria is also involved this year, providing both financial and human support, providing tutors to support students with extracurricular needs. Collaboration with Banca Etica also continues. Also speaking at today's meeting were Andrea Pecoraro, Senior Durable Solutions Associate, UNHCR, and Luisa Bianco, Senior Durable Solutions Assistant.

The Rector's commitment to the UNICORE Project translates into the promotion of initiatives to support the students involved. In this context, a donation to the project was made in recent days, further demonstrating the University's commitment to promoting inclusion, education, and dignity.