The University of Trento welcomes students from more than 80 different nationalities and a growing number of international researchers, presenting the University as a place of interaction between people from different backgrounds.
Over the years, the University of Trento has activated multiple services aimed at supporting and welcoming people from other countries, committing itself to realize the objectives of inclusion and equal opportunities through actions and initiatives that raise awareness and spread a culture of equity and justice. In this context, a fundamental role is attributed to “The Committee for Equal Opportunities “(Comitato Unico di Garanzia, in acronym CUG) which, with the support of the Equity and Diversity Office, promotes actions to enhance differences and prevent discriminatory phenomena. In the event of discriminatory situations within the University, it is possible to contact the “Confidential Counsellor for mobbing and sexual harassment cases” (Consigliera di fiducia).
As part of the initiatives that aim to enhance ethnic and cultural diversity, from academic year 2015/2016 the University has paid particular attention to the issue of forced migrations, launching projects involving migrants living in Trentino, welcoming asylum-seeking students and holders of international protection and scholars at risk. The results of these projects are presented in the biennial report 2021-2022 "The University of Trento for students and scholars at risk" (below is a summary), which follows the previous five-year report 2016 - 2020 "The University of Trento for refugees and scholars and at risk":
Furthermore, by joining the Inclusive University Manifesto promoted by UNHCR at the end of 2019, the University has renewed its commitment to support the access of refugees to university education and research, and to promote the social integration and the active participation in academic life.
Starting from the first months of 2016, in the perspective of an increasing internationalization of the University, a working group was set up to investigate the issue of ethnic-cultural differences within the University, in order to prevent or fight situations of discrimination or inadequate treatment and to make the University of Trento a welcoming environment, careful to the intercultural dimension. An initial recognition of the needs and the monitoring of the experience of students and staff from other countries and cultural contexts were followed by the promotion of awareness raising actions for the teaching staff and other initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of the existing differences.