Pursuing the general objective of strengthening the internationalization of the University of Turin (UniTo) and the Western University of Timișoara (UVT) and encouraging the participation of students in international mobility programs, on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, in the Rector's Hall of the University of Turin, the signing ceremony took place the agreement regarding integrated study programs completed with a double degree between the University of Turin and the West University of Timișoara (UVT).
At this academic internationalization event, the representatives of the participating universities took the floor, Stefano Geuna, rector of the University of Turin, Lucian Bercea, dean of the Faculty of Law, on behalf of the rector of the Western University of Timișoara, prof. Dr. Marilen Gabriel Pirtea, Cosmin Dumitrescu, consul general of Romania in Turin and Alessandra Fiorio Pla, vice-chancellor for international education of the University of Turin, scientific coordinator UNITA – Universitas montium.
The signed agreement involves the law and psychology departments of the two universities. The objective is to increase the internationalization of universities, favoring through specific measures and by identifying adequate financial resources the possibility for students to participate in international mobility programs.
The structured mobility agreement with the award of a double degree in Law between the University of Turin and the University of Timișoara will last five years, starting with the academic year 2024/2025. The course will allow obtaining four diplomas:
- Global Law and Transnational Studies (L-14) and European Legal Studies (LM-90), issued by the University of Turin;
- European and International Law and Master in European Union Law, issued by the University of Timișoara.
Each year, 10 students of UniTo and 10 students of UVT can be selected to participate in this program, which will allow them to spend two of their five years studying abroad. The main goal is to offer an educational path that makes students competitive both at the national level (Italian and Romanian) and in an international context. A specific emphasis will be placed, in fact, on European and transnational aspects.
The international study track in psychology is planned for a period of two years, starting with the academic year 2024/2025, to be implemented through a structured program of incoming and outgoing mobility, within the Italian study program aimed at obtaining the master's degree in body and mind sciences (LM-51) and the Romanian study program aimed at obtaining the master's degree in clinical psychology and psychotherapy. Two students from the University of Turin and two students from the West University of Timișoara will participate in the program. Students from Turin will spend a year in Timișoara, while students from Timișoara will spend a year in Turin. Following this integrated study program, in addition to awarding the master's degree in body and mind sciences, aims to obtain the professional license of psychologist in Italy. The course in Romania, on the other hand, prepares for the following professional paths: psychologist and clinical psychologist, as well as for the possibility of enrolling in a tertiary level education program (doctorate, master's degree, etc.).
In northwestern Italy, Romanians currently form a solid Italo-Romanian community, numbering approximately 150 people. Of these, approximately 000 live in Turin. On the territory of the city of Turin, the Romanian community stands out as the largest of all foreign communities, statistical data indicating that Romanian citizens represent approximately 80.000% of the resident foreign population.
