Foreign students arriving in Padua with a scholarship to start their university journey in the city face various challenges related to housing and inclusion. The “Arrupe Project” was created to provide a concrete solution to this situation. Applications are open for the 2024/25 academic year, with a deadline July 8th!
Finding a house in Padua is becoming increasingly difficult, particularly for foreign students. This is due to an objective shortage of housing solutions in the city and beds in university dormitories, as well as a reluctance on the part of many landlords to rent to foreign tenants.
For many students, the joy of receiving a scholarship is quickly overshadowed by the stress and difficulty of finding accommodation, making it harder for them to integrate into the new social context and build a network in the area. Could living together be the solution?
The heart of the Arrupe Project is the creation of a shared living experience where students can feel like protagonists in a personal and collective educational journey, take care of their inner selves, and build their future based on the richness of interaction and encounter with others, because “the more we deal with each other, the better we will understand each other” (A. Langer).
The educational proposals to which the students are invited to adhere, according to their interests and aptitudes, come from both the residences and the Association Popoli Insieme. For example, during the 2023/24 academic year, many Arrupe students participated in the “Di-segni di Pace” program, which led them, with monthly meetings, to reflect on human rights and the right to education, culminating in the creation of a participatory mural, now displayed at the Centro Antonianum, with the support of two artists.
For the 2024/2025 academic year, the Arrupe Project will support 10 refugees and/or seeking international protection university students who will live at the residences of Centro Antonianum and Collegio Don Mazza, where they can share daily life and common moments with Italian university students.
Applications must be submitted by July 8, 2024. For more information, please refer to the link below.
The Arrupe Project is supported for the year 2024/2025 thanks to the contribution of Fondazione Cariparo and Unicredit.
Read the project