The new arrivals were welcomed during the annual Welcome Session held on Friday, 25 September, in the Aula Magna at the Bozen-Bolzano City Centre Campus. The event introduced incoming students to the university, its services and the practical aspects of studying and living in South Tyrol.

This winter semester, unibz welcomed 196 exchange students, ten more than in the previous year, when 186 students arrived for the corresponding semester. The figure confirms the continued growth of incoming mobility and represents a new record for a winter semester at the university.

Approximately 86 per cent joined unibz through the Erasmus+ programme, five per cent through bilateral agreements and seven per cent as Free Movers.

The majority came from European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary and Poland. This year's incoming community also extended well beyond Europe, with students arriving from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Taiwan and the United States.

Professor Marco Baratieri, Vice-Rector for Studies, gave the students a warm welcome: "Studying abroad is much more than an academic experience. It is an opportunity to engage with different cultures, step outside your comfort zone, build international friendships, and develop the openness and adaptability that are increasingly important in today's world. It can also open the door to new professional opportunities. We are pleased to welcome these students to unibz and South Tyrol, and we hope their time here will be enriching both personally and academically.”

During the Welcome Session, representatives of the university, including the International Relations Office and the Language Centre, provided information to help students prepare for their semester at unibz. Welcome and orientation initiatives are part of the support offered to international exchange students alongside administrative assistance, accommodation support and activities aimed at facilitating their integration into university life.

"I chose unibz because of its international atmosphere and because studying in a multilingual environment is a unique opportunity. I was immediately impressed by how welcoming everyone has been, and I'm looking forward to meeting students from all over the world and exploring South Tyrol," said Johannes Bissinger, from the University of Osnabrück, Germany.

"Coming to Bozen-Bolzano is an opportunity to challenge myself both academically and personally. Beyond its excellent academic environment, there are countless ways to experience this extraordinary region, from hiking to skiing,” said Andrea Evensen, from the NTNU Business School, Norway.

International mobility at unibz is supported by a network of more than 200 Erasmus+ agreements, over 30 bilateral agreements with non-European and Italian universities, and six agreements under the Swiss European Mobility Programme.

The record number of incoming students highlights the university's growing international appeal to students from different countries, cultures and academic backgrounds.