InclUSIone
The International Relations and Study Abroad Service promotes within the USI academic community the debate and in-depth study of the topic of migration and integration. It also facilitates access to the academic path for talented students from the asylum sector, recognising that they belong to particularly vulnerable social groups.
USI works in collaboration with other Swiss institutions, Swissuniversities and the federal and cantonal authorities.
The InclUSIone programme contributes to the realisation of one of the programmatic objectives of the Cantonal Integration Programme (PIC), which promotes tertiary-level education for all people with relative potential.
The available paths are the following two:
1. Students admitted regularly (direct enrollment to study programmes):
- Support and tutoring;
- Reduced registration fee.
2. Students admitted as auditors (Programma passerella):
- Support and tutoring;
- Pre-enrollment access to Italian and/or English language courses;
- Programma passerella: access as auditor to selected courses to prepare for potential future enrollment.
The project is supported by the ‘Projects for Refugees in Universities’ fund promoted by Perspectives-Études for a period of two years (2024-2026) with the aim of expanding the existing support measures for refugees from a ‘pilot phase’ to a long-term programme. This period of time will also be used to develop a structured programme offering students and researchers access to academic activities contributing to their long-term career goals, creating equal opportunities for people who come from particularly complex situations. The project aims to foster the debate on the topic of migration and integration of people with diverse cultural background at cantonal level as well as within the academic community.
Contacts: Maurizia Ruinelli, [email protected]; Mariaelena Biliato, [email protected]
Expand All
-
Direct enrollment to study programmes
This information applies to people with recognised refugee status B, provisionally admitted person F, people in need of protection S, asylum seekers N, in accordance with the USI Admissions regulations.
People who meet the requirements but needs support to begin their journey at USI, is welcome to contact us to receive dedicated assistance in preparing their enrollment.
USI offers various Bachelor’s and Master’s programs, as well as research and advanced studies opportunities. For the formal admission requirements please refer to the webpages of each Bachelor’s and Master’s program. For the admission requirements to doctoral studies and continuing education, refer to the relevant webpages.
Deadlines and enrollment procedures are explained in the APPLICATION webpage.
Costs for students admitted regularly:
CHF 2000.00 per semester
For further information:
Maurizia Ruinelli: [email protected]
Mariaelena Biliato: [email protected]
-
Programma passerella (students admitted as auditors)
This information applies to people with recognised refugee status B, provisionally admitted person F, people in need of protection S, asylum seekers N, in accordance with the USI Admissions regulations.
People who meet the requirements but cannot finalise their enrolment may participate in the "passerella" programme (e.g.: the enrolment deadline has already passed, not yet in possession of a language certificate). This programme is preparatory to regular admission and can be repeated up to two semesters.
The programme allows the candidate to attend one or two courses, agreed upon with the International Relations and Mobility Service, as an auditor. The programme also allows access to Italian and/or English language courses (if preparatory to admission), and to services dedicated to USI students (e.g. student card, Digicamp). Other language courses, which are not preparatory for admission, may be taken upon payment of a tuition fee.
The Master in Medicine courses are excluded from this programme.
As a rule, auditors are not allowed to take exams to earn ECTS credits for the courses they attend.
Deadlines for enrolling in the "passerella" programme:
The autumn semester starts in September and the spring semester in February (see usi.ch). For the autumn semester it is necessary to register by July 15th. For the spring semester it is necessary to register by January 15th.
All those interested in the "passerella" can register, filling in the following registration form:
Costs:
CHF 400 for 6 ECTS courses
CHF 200 for 3 ECTS courses
CHF 400 for language courses not preparatory to admission (e.g. French or German)
For further information:
Maurizia Ruinelli: [email protected]
Mariaelena Biliato: [email protected]
-
Useful information
- How does the Swiss education system work?
Find out with this short video:
- How can I know if I meet the requirements to study at USI?
The admission requirements are explained on the pages of each individual Bachelor's and Master's programme.
In addition, the website of swissunivesities explains the admission conditions for Swiss universities for people who studied abroad:
-
External partnership
- In the frame of the project “adapted access to tertiary education for refugees”, swissuniversities and Swiss universities are operating within the scope of their possibilities to address the difficulties and obstacles faced by refugee academics and researchers. This entails the dossier "adapted access to tertiary education for refugees", as well as membership of the network "Scholars at Risk". The Swiss institutions of higher education are aware of their social responsibility and have reacted to this development, establishing various programmes to promote the professional and intellectual skills of refugees and enable them to continue their academic careers. At the same time, there remain obstacles to successful enrollment at a university, namely the recognition of documents, language level, cultural differences, economic restrictions and uncertainty of residence status for asylum seekers and temporarily admitted persons. swissuniversities plays an advisory and coordinating role in these issues and is committed to enabling closer exchange between institutions.
- "Perspectives - Studies" is a project of the Swiss Student Union (VSS). The project provides refugees interested in studying with an overview of the Swiss higher education landscape, the various programmes and their requirements. It provides information for refugees, who wish to study and people who support them along their way.
- The Ufficio dei richiedenti l'asilo e dei rifugiati (URAR) of the Dipartimento della sanità e della socialità (DSS) is responsible for managing requests for social support for people in the asylum sector and, in cooperation with other partner organisations (SOS Ticino, Croce Rossa), for accompanying them on their personal path to social, educational and professional integration.
- SIETAR Switzerland is a community of individuals and organizations that share an interest, as well as good practices, on the theme of interculturality with a particular attention toward initiatives that support refugees. From september 2024 USI, through the International Relations and Study Abroad Service, has joined this network of professionals.
- With the Students at Risk (StAR) programme, of the Swiss Student Union (VSS-UNES-USO), Switzerland also contributes to international freedom of education and research. It comlements the existing "Scholars at Risk" project, which focuses on postdoctoral schoalrs. The operational phase of the pilot project started in January 2025 and will last until 2027. During this perios, the first students are expected to start or complete their studies in Switzerland through the StAR programme. A comprehensive overview of the project and the StAR approach is available in the policy paper (available in German and French).
-
News
- USI and equal opportunities for refugee students
- USI wins the Perspectives-Études competition for refugees support
- Inclusion and education: USI's commitment to refugee students
- A step towards inclUSIon
- Migrazione Exhibition - a retrospective
- ITERSS: a joint USI-SUPSI project for the academic inclusion of individuals with a refugee background