Internationalisation at home - I@H
In the context of USI’s Strategic Planning 2025–2028, the Pro-rectorate for Internationalisation highlights the importance of "internationalisation at home" measures—namely, all actions that allow for the development of intercultural skills within one’s own university, even without participating in traditional mobility programmes. The theme of internationalisation is rooted in USI's identity and vision for its community: internationalisation at home stems from the need to enhance the international dimension already present in the daily life of the university.
The goal is to create an intercultural, inclusive, and open academic and work environment, offering students, faculty, and administrative staff the opportunity to develop global competencies even without engaging in physical mobility.
This international “at home” dimension is becoming increasingly crucial in an interconnected world, where equitable access to global experiences and the acquisition of intercultural communication skills are essential for shaping individuals who are aware, adaptable, and ready for the challenges of the present and future.
USI’s main objectives in this area are:
- Raise awareness within the university community about the importance of internationalisation and interculturality.
- Make international experiences accessible and enrich cultural life on campus through the initiative Il mondo in USI (The world at USI).
- Develop and enhance intercultural skills for professional purposes for USI students through a certification.
- Anticipate and respond to the challenges related to internationalisation and foster knowledge diplomacy by promoting exchange and collaboration between local and international students.
- Effectively welcome the international community and ensure an inclusive, safe, and stimulating work and study environment through ongoing training initiatives dedicated to USI’s academic and administrative staff.
Magna Charta Universitatum
USI has signed the Magna Charta Universitatum 2020 (MCU 2020) on 13 November 2025, and thereby confirms its contribution to the construction of an open, sustainable and cooperative academic space, capable of addressing the global challenges of the present with a critical spirit and solidarity.
Mapping existing activities
To foster a shared overview and the exchange of best practices, a dedicated Padlet has been created - an online collaborative space where initiatives aligned with the project can be collected and organized. In this initial phase, the project coordinators invice faculty members, ressearchers, staff, and USI student associations to contribute to mapping existing activities.
The Padlet can be accessed here: Internationalisation at Home.
Alternatively, activities may be submitted by writing to [email protected] and including a brief description of the project or initiative.
We would like to thank in advance everyone who wishes to contribute to strenghtening this strategic element of our university.
Useful resources for internationalisation at home.
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Laboratory of Modern Languages
A great way to strengthen your intercultural skills is to learn a new language. Studying a language does not simply mean learning to communicate with new words and alphabets; above all, it means engaging with the cultures of the places where that language is spoken every day. USI community has the possibility to study Italian, English, German, and French, for free and in presence, thanks to the wide range of courses offered by the Laboratory of Modern Languages (LLM).
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UNESCO Chair in ICT
USI UNESCO Chair is committed to perform research and teaching on how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital media in general, can be effectively used to develop and promote sustainable tourism at World Heritage Sites (WHSs).
Digital instruments like Google Arts & Culture represent another example of internationalization at home: the platform allows users to virtually explore museums, collections and cultural heritage websites all over the world through digital exhibitions, high resolution images and virtual tours. Check out the Google Arts & Culture exhibitions that have been curated the UNESCO Chair at USI. Another excellent way to access cultural heritage worldwide through digital exhibitions.
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Il mondo in USI (The world at USI)
USI International Relations and Study Abroad Service regularly organizes events and meetings to promote multiculturalism, cultural diversity, critical thinking ans inclusion within the context of university life. This initiative, called "Il mondo in USI (The world at USI)", aims at bringing the world into the university, offering everyone in the academic community the opportunity to have an international learning exoerience even "From home". Discover all the details in the dedicated page.