This morning, Wednesday 29 April, the University of Salerno officially unveiled its new Cultural and Linguistic Mediation Service at the “Biagio Agnes” Press Room on the Fisciano Campus, an initiative designed to support international students throughout every stage of their academic journey.
The press conference opened with institutional greetings from Rector Virgilio D’Antonio, followed by contributions from the university delegates involved in the project: Prof. Giulia Savarese (Inclusion), Prof. Alessandra Amendola (Internationalisation), Prof. Colucciello (Mobility Policies), and Prof. Abdelaziz Rhandi (Mediterranean Outreach).
During the event, the service operators were also introduced and its organisational features outlined, highlighting a structured approach aimed at providing continuous support to international students.
The initiative was established with a clear mission: to provide concrete support to students from non-EU countries, from their very first days at the university through to their full integration into campus life. Yet this is not a one-directional form of assistance: among its goals is also the development of intercultural competencies within both academic and administrative staff, reflecting a vision of a university that is open and plural.
This is, in every respect, an excellent project that fits seamlessly within the framework of the NEOLAIA Alliance, representing a concrete best practice to be added to those already catalogued across the partnership. The Service is in direct synergy with WP7 (Multilingualism), through its focus on linguistic mediation and the promotion of multilingualism within the academic community, and with WP3 (Diversity and Inclusion), through its commitment to ensuring equal opportunities and active participation for students from international and non-EU backgrounds.
Furthermore, the Service may also contribute to WP4 (Enhanced Mobility), by strengthening the Cross-Cultural Competence pathway and supporting the development of intercultural skills that enable students to engage more effectively with international mobility experiences.
A significant step towards an ever more inclusive and international university, and a tangible contribution to the Alliance’s shared mission.
