Italy has always been synonymous with wonder. Especially now for the new generations who live abroad and who wish to get in touch with the many cultural deposits that the beautiful country is able to offer. The authoritative studies conducted by some US universities, such as that of Pennsylvania, and by some specialized magazines confirm this: the “Cultural and creative production system guarantees 6% of the wealth produced in Italy, with a multiplier effect equal to 1.8. The creativity industry alone employs more than 1.5 million people. A scenario that will feed into the next few years and that needs to be supported by training processes of the highest level, capable of combining skills and ingenuity.
Based on these assumptions RUFA – Rome University of Fine Arts, for some years now, has adopted an action plan to improve the appeal of “made in Italy” precisely from the point of view of training. An internationalization process still underway which provides, among other things, the provision of many educational activities in English, in order to increase the level of competitiveness in the global market. From 2013 onwards, RUFA has participated, directly investing its own resources, in many international fairs and shows both in Europe and outside Europe. There are many destinations and countries affected by this action.
In this context, RUFA – Rome University of Fine Arts has submitted, with the project RUFA ABROAD 2019-2020, co-financed by the European Union, an application for a contribution on the public notice “Voucher Internationalization” referred to in Determination No. G10195 of 26/07/2019 – POR FESR LAZIO 2014-2020 marked with the protocol number A0331-2019-30172 CUP code F84E20000520007. The Project identified with the GeCoWeb Form A0331-2019-30172 has been admitted and eligible for funding, applying for the calculation of the contribution the percentage of 45%, equal to euro 6,750.00.
In particular RUFA has participated in presence and/or remotely in the following initiatives:
a) “Study in Italy Days”, Istanbul – Turkey, October 2020;
b) “Studies & Careers”, Kazakhstan – Russia, October 2021;
c) “Studies & Careers”, Azerbaijan – Russia, February 2022.
Participation in the call has made it possible to strengthen the desire for “exchange” that the new generations put into practice in their respective study paths, facilitating the formation of a network of meetings, experiences, people and cultures. The impact generated by participation in the international events included in the grant has been decidedly important, especially when compared to the previous year: in the previous academic year, the orientation activities implemented to facilitate the presence of foreign students in Italy had produced a ratio of 1 to 14: for fourteen foreign students who had expressed an interest in enrolling by taking part in the admission tests, only one confirmed this intention. Following participation in the training events and despite the limitations imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and other emergencies of a military nature, the ratio rose from 8 to 16: for sixteen foreign students who had expressed an interest in enrolling by taking part in the admission tests, eight confirmed this intention. In percentage terms, the ratio rose from 7.14% to 50%.