Vietnamese students learn about study abroad opportunities in Italy with school representatives
Preferential tuition fees, many scholarships
On the afternoon of October 15, the Consulate General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City and Uni-Italia Vietnam (office promoting cooperation between universities and Italian study abroad in Vietnam) jointly organized the 2023 Italian Study Abroad Festival in Ho Chi Minh City. Here, Mr. Endrico Padula, Consul General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City, stated 3 important reasons that Vietnamese students can consider to pursue their dream of studying abroad in the "boot-shaped country".
"First, the education system in Italy is of high quality and there are more and more programs taught in English. Second, tuition and living expenses in Italy are low, or simply put, 'delicious, nutritious, cheap'. Finally, our country has a rich culture and possesses many impressive architectural works. Therefore, in addition to the learning experience, you also have the opportunity to experience other interesting things," said Mr. Endrico Padula.
Speaking to Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters on the sidelines of the event, Italian Consul General Endrico Padula added that Italy's education system is increasingly internationalizing to attract more international students. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that Italian universities are starting to offer English programs in parallel with Italian programs, focusing on master's and doctoral levels.
Mr. Endrico Padula, Consul General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City, delivered the opening speech at the Italian Study Abroad Festival.
"We welcome Vietnamese students to Italy and will create all conditions for them to obtain a student visa after the school accepts their enrollment. At the same time, the process of applying for an Italian student visa is also completely simple for students. In addition, Italy also has many different types of scholarships for international students," Mr. Endrico Padula added.
Explaining more about the scholarship programs, Ms. Tran Hong Hanh, Director of Uni-Italia Vietnam (office promoting university cooperation and studying abroad in Italy in Vietnam), said that in Italy there are 3 different levels of scholarships. At the government level, students can apply for full scholarships such as MAECI for master's and doctoral programs of all types, or "Invest your talent in Italy" for master's programs in English.
"In addition, each region of Italy has an educational support fund for international students. The forms of support include providing accommodation, free meals, along with a certain level of subsidy, which can total up to 7,000 euros/year (175 million VND). The requirements are that you do not 'repeat' a grade, have good academic performance or higher, and your family's income is average or low compared to European standards," Ms. Hanh said, adding that the final level is scholarships from Italian universities.
On this occasion, the Consulate General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City also awarded prizes to contestants participating in the "Hello Italy" contest.
Ms. Hanh also noted that to go to Italy, Vietnamese students need to prove their financial resources at 6,000 euros (150 million VND), lower than many popular study abroad markets. Not to mention, the tuition fees that international students need to pay are based on their family income, so in many cases tuition fees are reduced or exempted. Many public schools in Italy even set tuition fees for Vietnamese students at only 400 euros/year (10 million VND).
"Italy is an emerging study abroad destination, so there are not many Vietnamese students yet, so the level of competition is less. The requirements that Italian schools often require are a motivation letter, a letter of recommendation, a transcript, an English certificate, or if you have Italian, it will increase your ability to compete for scholarships. The application fee at Italian schools is also low, around 50 euros (1.2 million VND), some schools even waive this fee," Ms. Hanh shared.
"Some majors in Italy that attract Vietnamese students are economics, communications, marketing, computer science, electronics, psychology... While studying in Italy, students are allowed to work 20 hours/week. After graduation, international students will have the right to stay in Italy to find a job for one year," the female director of Uni-Italia Vietnam added.
What is the level of internationalization at Italian schools?
Mr. Jonathan Bibee, Director of Communications and External Relations at the University of Trento, said that the school has an intake in September and the admission portal will be open from December to March next year. Currently, the school has 16 English-taught programs at the doctoral level, 25 at the master's level and 3 at the undergraduate level. "To apply for the English program, we require candidates to reach level B2 or C1 according to CEFR. As for the Italian program, the requirement is lower, at level B1 to B2 depending on the major," Mr. Jonathan Bibee shared.
Mr. Jonathan Bibee (in white shirt), Director of Communications and External Relations at the University of Trento, said that the English program at the undergraduate level is quite "modest" compared to the master's and doctoral levels.
"The school's scholarships will be based on grades and academic achievements, and can be up to 8,500 euros/year," said Mr. Jonathan Bibee.
Mr. Egill Boccanera, Director of International Education and Research at the University of Libera Maria SS. Assunta (LUMSA), said that the school does not have a scholarship program for international students. The school has chosen to reduce tuition fees significantly, requiring international students to pay only 4,200 euros/year, nearly half of the 8,000 euros/year for local students.
According to LUMSA representative, to apply to the school, the minimum English or Italian proficiency level must be at B2. Currently, the school has 3 English programs at the master's level, but no English program at the bachelor's level, only teaching in parallel in English and Italian.
Italy is making efforts to internationalize its education system to attract international students.
Representing the University of Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Ms. Hanh Nguyen, an expert from Duc Anh Study Abroad Consulting Company, said that out of more than 40 majors at the school, there are about 5 majors taught in English, with a requirement of 6.0 IELTS or higher. "English programs have only been opened recently. The reason is that the school wants to attract more international students to meet the internationalization target, thereby maintaining a good ranking on world university rankings," Ms. Hanh explained.
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