For a real inclusion of refugee students: the Arrupe Project as a best practice for Italian universities

In issue 16 of EPALE magazine, the article titled “For a real inclusion of refugee students: the Arrupe Project as a best practice for Italian universities” was published, written by Elisa Gamba, a PhD student at the Human Rights Centre.

The magazine, born from the collaboration between Indire - EPALE Italy Unit and the Italian University Network for Lifelong Learning (RUIAP), offers a biannual selection of academic articles and book reviews on adult education, each time focusing on a topic of national relevance. Issue 16, published in December 2014, is dedicated to "Lifelong Learning for the Inclusion and Cultural Integration of Refugees".

Dr Gamba’s article analyses the Arrupe Project, an example of territorial inclusion for refugee students, launched in 2022 by the Association Popoli Insieme ODV. The project aims to integrate refugee students into student residences, while promoting targeted activities to foster interaction with the local student community. To gain a deeper understanding of the initiative, 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted, based on La Mendola’s (2009) concept of the dialogical interview.

In 2024, 11 refugee students, 3 Italian students involved in the activities, and 3 staff members from the association were interviewed. This made it possible to outline an analysis of the programme, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses and confirming its innovative character from a social perspective.

Dr Gamba’s PhD research focuses on the inclusion of refugees within the Italian university system and involves drafting a National Action Plan, aimed at coordinating existing support initiatives at the national level.