Institutional Welcome for freshers: over 1,300 new students welcomed at USI

On Thursday, 11 and Friday, 12 September, USI welcomed over 1,300 new students to its Lugano and Mendrisio campuses. Over the two days, new students participated in institutional presentations, met with programme directors, attended information sessions, and enjoyed campus tours, officially marking the beginning of their university journey.

The institutional welcome began on Thursday, 11 September in Lugano, and continued the following day. It was split over two days, with one day dedicated to new students enrolled in Italian-language programmes and the other to those in English-language programmes. The opening remarks were held in the West Campus Aula Magna, featuring Rector Prof. Luisa Lambertini and Pro-Rector for Education and Students' Experience, Prof. Gabriele Balbi. Presentations from the Study Advisory and Promotion Service, the Laboratory of Modern Languages, the University Library, and the IT and eLab services followed the opening speeches.

The mornings continued with information sessions designed specifically for different types of students based on their country of origin. These sessions were accompanied by guided campus tours and a lunch provided by USI. In the afternoons, the programme directors welcomed the new students, distributing badges and student accounts. The activities wrapped up with an extra info session to clarify any remaining questions.

On Friday, 12 September, it was the turn of the Mendrisio Campus, where the freshers of the USI Academy of Architecture were welcomed by the Rector and Pro-Rector, together with the Director, Prof. Ar Riccardo Blumer, and the Management Coordinator, Ar Marco Della Torre. Following the welcome, Dr Angela Windholz gave a presentation about the Library, and student representatives from the OSA Corporation also shared information.

The day featured presentations from the administrative staff, as well as from the informatics, logistics, and security services. It concluded with a guided tour of the campus and a friendly aperitif.

USI is pleased with the excellent turnout for the institutional welcome event, which attracted over 1,300 students. This initiative reaffirmed the University's commitment to supporting new generations from the very beginning of their academic journeys, providing an opportunity for connection, orientation, and mutual understanding.

The activities will now continue for the next three weeks with the Welcome Weeks. Throughout the month, a USI service will be showcased daily during lunchtime at the West Campus Lugano. In Mendrisio, due to the smaller group size, there will be a detailed presentation of the services scheduled for an afternoon when classes are not in session.