ITERSS - Inclusive Tertiary Education for Refugees in Southern Switzerland

The ITERSS (Inclusive Tertiary Education for Refugees in Southern Switzerland) project involves collaboration between USI and SUPSI to strengthen the offerings available in the university and university of applied science of Italian-speaking Switzerland and to improve access to tertiary education for refugees residing in Ticino (or in Switzerland). To cover the entire territory, a collaboration with FUS (Franklin University Switzerland) as external partner is also foreseen. 

The project has the concrete objective of creating a shared and structured operational framework between USI and SUPSI to ensure better information and equitable access to our university schools for people with refugee background, taking into account their aspirations and potential as well as the structural challenges they face. 

USI and SUPSI, with the support of internal services, swissuniversities and the relevant institutions, intend to combine resources, experiences, and best practices to build a more inclusive and coordinated offer. The project foresees the enhancement of measures already in place (support in the application process and access pathways to prepare for regular admission), as well as the implementation of entirely new measures: (1) advanced-level Italian courses, (2) learning coaches, (3) structured coordination with cantonal authorities, (4) activation of peer-to-peer digital competences courses, (5) feasibility study dedicated to the development or reinforcement of continuing education for qualified refugees living in Italian-speaking Switzerland, (6) active involvement of candidates in the preparatory programmes into the activities regularly offered for full-time students to foster inclusion in the academic community.