International Student Chapters: USI meets world

Internationality is a distinctive hallmark of Univerisità della Svizzera italiana which, with its campuses in the region, welcomes lecturers and researchers from a hundred countries. USI is committed to fostering this important trait, offering students and graduates opportunities to meet and network.

2800 students and 800 lecturers and researchers from various parts of the world gather every day on the three campuses of Lugano, Mendrisio and Bellinzona. USI encourages members of the community to take advantage of the international environment and meet and exchange ideas. In this spirit, the Career Service has once again this year launched the "International Student Chapters" initiative: evening get-together between international students who have come to Ticino from various countries, along the lines of the Nationes born in medieval university towns. "These convivial moments offer our international students the opportunity to talk about their experience in Ticino. They also allow us to listen to their experiences and suggestions to improve their study experience at USI" says Lorenzo Cantoni, Pro-Rector for Education and Students' Experience. A network of contacts that is also important to keep during the course of one's professional career through the Alumni meetings : "The experience of international students at USI finds continuity in the 'Alumni Chapters' spread across several countries. USI graduates continue to be part of our community by meeting in their respective cities - ambassadors of excellence of USI in the world - and by strengthening important ties also for the purposes of integration into the world of work," explains Silvia Invrea, head of the Careers&Alumni Service.

USI students hailing from Germany met on 2 March. “The Student Chapter Germany gave me the unique possibility to share my thoughts on USI from my own cultural perspective. Besides, it was nice to learn more about the large community of Germans at USI and to get to know some of them and hear about their personal background” says Katharina Dölp, student of the Master in Marketing and Transformative Economy.

The upcoming "International Student Chapters" meetings are scheduled for 6 April (US Chapter) and 4 May (Russia Chapter). It is possible to propose additional meetings by writing to [email protected].