Italian Days on Higher Education - Roadshow 2017

Roadshow 2017 – ‘Italian Days on Higher Education’ was held for the first time in India from 24th to 28th November 2017. A joint collaboration between the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of External Affairs & International Cooperation, the Italian Diplomatic mission in India, Conference of Rectors of Italian Universities and Uni-Italia, it was a much-awaited event.

Flagging off from the prestigious University of Mumbai’s Fort Campus on 24th November, the next stop was at K. J Somaiya Vidyavihar on 25th November, followed by Christ University, Bangalore, on 27th and a simultaneous event at the Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata. Roadshow 2017 ended on 28th November with the last stop at the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre in New Delhi.

Overall 650-700 students benefited from this Roadshow having interacted with representatives of some of Italy’s most prestigious universities namely, Università di Bologna (the oldest university continuous in operation since 1088), Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi di Milano, Politecnico di Milano, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Politecnico di Torino, to name a few. In all, twelve universities and academies participated in this event. 

The respective roadshow in various cities opened with the lighting of the lamp jointly by Indian & Italian University delegates, followed by experts from the Academy of Fine Arts and Conservatories and from the Consolidation of the European Higher Education who presented the Italian University System and the Italian Higher Education in Arts and Music (AFAM) System. A presentation on ‘Invest Your Talent in Italy’, a program for scholarship opportunities for post-grad students, was showcased by Uni-Italia representatives. Details of visa policies & procedures were explained to students by the Diplomats from the Embassy and Consulates in the different cities followed by testimonials of former students recounting their experience in Italy and their careers on returning to India. The Roadshow ended with a B2B session between the students and the Italian university representatives where they had the opportunity for one-on-one interaction to address all their queries and get acquainted with opportunities and various courses offered by the respective universities.

Italy, a world leader in the creation of major infrastructure, also happens to have the World’s 5th largest Trade Surplus in manufactured goods. It is home to leading aerospace technologies, being the 3rd country in the world to send a satellite into orbit. Italy also happens to be the undisputed leader in the production of super yachts with 40% of world’s orders, and not to forget, it also has the highest number of UNESCO world heritage sites.

With opportunities of internships with some of Italy’s big companies and brands, it is undoubtedly a country to be explored by young Indian minds who wish to pursue their higher education and further studies in Italy with an array of courses offered entirely in English and no requirement of prior knowledge of Italian. 

It is hoped that many aspiring students choose Italy as their higher education destination where they can enjoy a high and unique quality of life while taking advantage of achieving a prestigious degree recognized throughout Europe, thus channeling for themselves a successful future career.

- H. Fonseca, Representative of Uni-Italia Mumbai Center