Italy is one of the most beautiful and culturally rich countries across Europe, a country which has been a top tourist destination with its overflowing wealth in architecture, history, culture, fashion and cuisine, Italy boasts of its rich tapestry of history and culture. They say you can have a pizza anywhere around the world but you can only have ‘real-pizza’ in Italy. From the ranging shapes to varying tastes of foods, the Italians are known for their pizza making art. However, pizza is not the only thing that Italy and the Italians are famous for. The country oozes of delicious food to charming streets and the diverse culture from every nook and corner, making Italy a popular destination for international students. Even the country has the oldest continuously operating university in the world which is found in Bologna, Italy that is open to international students for more than 930 years now.

One can find around 137 higher education institutions throughout Italy that specialise in sectors ranging from art, music and dance colleges, to research based and technical institutions

In the past two years Italy has experienced a significant rise in interest on internationalization of higher education with a subsequent bigger investment in terms of resources and funds. The country is not just popular amongst students because of the multicultural ambience but also because of the several top public and private universities that are based in the country. One can find around 137 higher education institutions throughout Italy that specialise in sectors ranging from art, music and dance colleges, to research based and technical institutions. With the varied option of courses and disciplines to choose from, the international students in Italy can take advantage of all that the country has to offer. And with the tuition fee at most Italian institutions being generally lower than in that in other parts of Europe or Northern America, it makes Italian universities an enticing proposition for foreign students.

Nicole Petra Papa, Head of International Office, Vita Salute San Raffaele University says, “Among the many Italian cities that welcome international students, Milan is indeed the main recipient of this huge wave of internationalization and each year always more students from all over the world decide either to study here and to spent one or more term in the city. My advice to students interested in pursuing their higher education in Italy would be to have no fear. Our Country has an exceptional higher education tradition and offering and attention to International student services within the universities are nowadays an important aspect and demonstration of a University’s services quality.  Indian Students here will find a cosy yet extremely open-minded community They are at the centre of our attention and are supported in all possible ways and have the opportunity to benefit from an extremely unique environment.”

Located in the Southern part of Europe, Italy borders countries like France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino, and Vatican City. High standard of education coupled with low tuition fees make living in Italy one of the best choices of the students. As per Serafini Fabrizio, Direttore, Up Level School of Management , “Italy is globally recognized as a country that is full of history and rich in culture and our education is one the best in the world with the Italian language being the 4th most talked language in the world. The aim of Up Level is to be an international school of management while remaining strongly rooted in Italian culture, we promise to your Indian students to promote and improve our training approach that gives all students the best opportunity when applying for a job and to continue to be focused strongly on innovation.”

Undoubtedly, Italy is trying its best to be a multicultural nation, wanting more people from all places and cultural backgrounds to come together and put their life experiences to the table. Although the ideas might have slight friction, the people still tend to believe that it is a positive sign that the country is transforming into a new hub of opportunities.