A bright internationalization strategy in a challenging world: voices from Catania

A bright internationalization strategy in a challenging world: Voices from Catania

By Daniela Irrera 

We are living in a smaller and multicultural world. Despite the difficulties imposed by the pandemic, international education should continue to adapt to current transformations and to develop more refined tools to allow students to chase their dreams.

Student life is always depicted as an unforgettable period, during which one can focus on personal and intellectual growth, boost dreams and personal aspirations, enhance skills, build relations and also have fun and pleasant experiences. Compared to some decades ago, students have now access to more scholarships and grants, allowing more opportunities to study abroad, collect short or long-term staying and spend time in different countries.

In order to be efficient and adaptable to current transformations, any internationalization strategy should be grounded on concrete objectives, tangible resources and long-term perspectives.

The city of Catania offers a unique mixture of local traditions and global, multicultural and cosmopolitan trends, a typical University city which provides various opportunities for complement studying with a vivid cultural and social life. Within the framework of internationalization policies developed at the University level, the Department of Political and Social Sciences hosts every semester several international students, enrolled in various mobility programs, including Erasmus, double degree programs, Erasmus Mundus.

In my capacity as Departmental Erasmus coordinator and Deputy Director for internationalization and research, I have the irreplaceable privilege to welcome students from all countries and backgrounds. The strategy which has been developed in the last years have been based on some basic priorities, focused on the building up of a vividly international environment in which local and foreign students learn, grow and  exchange experiences and approaches.

Offering a wide array of mobility options to all students is the first one. Thanks to a consistent investment in grants and scholarships, the Department attracts an increasing number of foreign and international students. They consider Catania a desirable destination for attending undergraduate and master’s courses, preparing a final dissertation or complementing their curricula with new expertise. English is commonly considered a universal language and even Catania, as all other Universities located in non-English speaking countries, is attempting to increase bilingual courses in English. However incoming students appreciate the Italian language and enjoy learning.

I have always been passionate about learning foreign languages and I definitively recommend to all people we welcome here. Learning Italian is relevant for living better and accessing basic services, but once here, students also discover they can join German and French courses, use the laboratory and get prepared to standardized exam procedures for obtaining certificates. Being able to speak more than two languages is indispensable for increasing competitiveness.

Even internships are becoming more internationalized. Although their main purpose is to help students in testing what they have learned in the job market, internships are also useful to develop multiple skills, expand networking contacts and improving multitasking abilities. Foreign students who choose to spend a training period in our Department usually explore the library or the International Relations office, complement with experiences with private companies and non-governmental organizations with which there is an existing partnerships. More importantly, they work together with local students in an exchange which is mutually enriching. The current pandemic has pushed all of us to change our habits, but also to develop alternative forms of internships, like virtual ones, which has allowed several students to continue their learning path, although in a more challenging way.

Finally, training courses and summer schools represent a ‘traditional’ learning tool which has become, over the years, more global and sophisticate. The Department hosts every year several events in all subjects and disciplines, bringing students of all levels.

In June 2019, the ECPR Summer School on International Relations was hosted in Catania. Focusing on the reform of the order, institutions, and power relations of the world political system, it brought here 15 international MA and PhD students from different parts of the world. Participants had the chance to interact with other junior and senior scholars in International Relations, to present and discuss their own research and to get feedback and exchange from the instructors. Short courses are an ideal learning environment for international students, in which they can expand their knowledge and their skills and abilities in an intense Mediterranean mood. Convivial moments and social life are essential components of such events as the farewell dinner of the Summer School on International Relations demonstrates in the picture below.

In the end, which is the added value of an international experience in Catania and why should students choose to come here? A unique combination of traditional and innovative learning tools, an ample offer of courses and training options, the embeddedness into culturally sophisticated and vibrant environment, allow students to live an unforgettable mixture of knowledge, expertise, networking and fun. This also makes my job a wonderful mission and a continuous effort to help students to chase their dreams.

Writer’s Bio:

Daniela Irrera is Associate Professor of International Relations at the Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Catania, where she serves as Erasmus coordinator and deputy Director for Internationalization and Research. She is also Visiting Professor of Political Violence and Terrorism at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, Kirghizstan and Member of the International Advisory Board, Shri Venkateshwara University, Uttar Pradesh, India.

As a multilingual and global citizen, she is a passionate supporter of international education initiatives. Her online course on International Relations is open to anyone interested in global politics and can be freely accessed and completed.