Dmytro from Ukraine is a newly-graduate of the MA in International Cooperation on Human Rights and Intercultural Heritage in the Ravenna Campus of the University of Bologna. “If being international is part of your DNA you should come to the University of Bologna, every campus is international at its core”
Sup ya all! My name is Dmytro, I`ve just graduated from the University of Bologna and I studied at the Master`s Programme of International Cooperation on Human Rights and Intercultural Heritage in the Ravenna Campus. I would like to share with you a little bit about my experience here at Unibo, one that will be with me forever.
Unibo and I share the same DNA: Internationalization
I`m originally from Ukraine and I got my BA in International Information from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. In Ukraine, I had the opportunity of carrying out internships at the Embassy of Ukraine in Germany and at the Ukrainian Parliament. Additionally, I participated in exchange programmes in Belgium, Israel and China. This made me the ideal candidate for studying abroad, I shaped my university career around being international and with hindsight, this has always been my goal.
The idea of studying in Italy came to me while considering Europe as an institution. Indeed, Italy is one of the founding members of the European Union and a leading country of the Eurozone, therefore I thought to myself, why not? It would surely look great on my CV. For this reason, I selected two Italian universities offering international degree programmes in English. My choice fell on the University of Bologna and the University of Milan where you only needed an English B2 Certification to enroll in international MA Programmes taught in English. Eventually, I went for UniBo due to the following reasons:
Bear with the enrolment process and the bureaucracy: Unibo is worth it!
I had to be very scrupulous with all the papers to hand in at the Italian Embassy in Ukraine in order for my enrolment to be successful. Ukrainian students need a student visa to study in Italy, getting it can be tricky, therefore if there are Ukrainian nationals that would like more details on this matter, I am happy to help. In any case, be prepared to spend a couple of intense months because that’s what it’ll take to finalize your enrolment procedures if you are a non-EU student, but studying at Unibo is definitely worth it!
A unique academic community
Studying at the University of Bologna is different from studying in Ukraine. For instance, professors here have a closer relationship with students and are ready to assist them with any issues they may have. Smoking a cigarette together with your professor while talking about China’s foreign policy means that you can have incredibly enriching exchanges and that you feel part of a welcoming and supportive community. I remember that one time I was queuing at the toilet and my professor came by asking if the content of his lecture was clear – I will remember those moments forever. But I will especially remember the feeling of being treated as a peer, it made me feel humbled and proud at the same time.
No accommodation? Couchsurfing can be a short-term solution
When I first arrived in Ravenna, I couchsurfed. Via Social Media, I contacted an Italian family and they hosted me for my first week. I`m still in touch with these people, we got along quite well. After that first week, I found myself a room in Ravenna.
Finding accommodation in Ravenna is not as hard as it would be in a larger city like Bologna, but it is still tricky. There are a few student residences with a limited number of beds. This means that incoming students have to find single/shared apartments for rent. If you need help or assistance with room searching, ask the International Desk for advice: they will point you in the right direction. I have changed two apartments since I came to Italy. My first flatmates were from Iran and Togo and now I live with people from Italy, Libya and Peru. Get ready to be a multicultural person 24/7, it’s extremely exciting and rewarding!
Scholarship and grants at Unibo
While being already in Italy, I applied for ER.GO benefits (ER.GO is the regional agency for the right of study) and obtained a fee waiver. Moreover, in my second year, I was granted the MAECI scholarship - this funding is provided by the Italian Foreign Ministry and there is a selection process that involves the Italian Embassy in Ukraine (do not worry – it's all online).
There are no special secrets about how to obtain scholarship and benefits, just be smart and do your readings carefully.
Unibo offers its students a lot of services - study rooms, libraries, ALMAWiFi, the International Desk, the Erasmus Student Network – all of them are easy to access and I had a very positive experience with all of them.
Italian 1.0: language basics are your gateway to a complete Italian experience
When I first arrived in Ravenna, the main challenge for me was communicating with normal people: it’s not a big city and a few people here speak English. However, what they can’t communicate via verbal language, they can communicate via gestures!
I was particularly keen on learning at least some basic Italian – learning some fundamentals of the host country’s language is the very least you can do in my opinion. For this reason, I attended an Italian language course at CLA (University Language Center), this provided me with what I needed: I had the basics of the language, I could work on the rest by myself. And so I did. I learned a lot by speaking with Italian classmates, friends and professors. Nowadays, I`ve reached a B1 proficiency level in Italian – it's quite an achievement!
Ravenna and Unibo: a great match
Ravenna is a small city. All the departments are close to each other, but it happens sometimes that you need to go to the other end of the city - in that case, I strongly recommend riding a bike, not only it will save you time, but it will also make you part of the city’s culture.
Summer in Ravenna is the best season: it’s a sea city! From late April through September, you can easily go to the beach and chill out, this is how students here spend their summer. I also like sports, so I usually train at CUSB (the University Sports Center) and participate in some of their activities like futsal soccer, ping-pong and beach volley tournaments. Get ready to be active and seize your chances – this city and this university have a lot to offer.
Managing the pandemic
During the first wave of COVID-19, I was not in Italy because I was undertaking my Erasmus+ traineeship in Lithuania. Therefore, I cannot say much about how it had been here at that time. However, I am here now and since November 2020, we’re facing a second wave of this awful pandemic. The situation is not pleasant but we could continue studying online and the University administration keeps us updated regularly and provides clear instructions on how to behave and what to do. These are hard times but being part of the Unibo community is not only an element of comfort, but it also helps in many practical ways.
Quick Tips
My recommendation, especially to students of the Unibo campuses in Rimini, Ravenna and Forli, is to try to learn Italian: this will allow to establish a network that will be convenient in your future in this country whether professional or otherwise.
Let me conclude by saying that the University of Bologna is the place to be: you will feel happy and uplifted by being a student of the Alma Mater Studiorum.