Per la prima volta, l'iniziativa GREAT Scholarships è disponibile per gli studenti italiani per l'a.a. 2025-2026. Il programma assegna a 8 studenti italiani una borsa di studio del valore di almeno £10.000, che copre le tasse universitarie per un corso post-laurea di un anno presso prestigiose università del Regno Unito.

Le borse di studio sono finanziate congiuntamente dalla campagna GREAT Britain del governo britannico e dal British Council, insieme alle istituzioni di istruzione superiore del Regno Unito partecipanti. A livello globale, per l'a.a. 2025-26, sono disponibili 230 borse di studio GREAT, offerte da 73 università britanniche, per studenti provenienti da 18 paesi.

Per l'a.a. 2025-2026, le borse di studio post-laurea per studenti italiani sono disponibili presso le seguenti istituzioni:

• Imperial College London
• King’s Business School
• Liverpool John Moores University
• Nottingham Trent University
• Royal College of Art
• University of Bath
• University of Essex
• University of Warwick

Requisiti per la candidatura: i candidati devono essere cittadini italiani, soddisfare tutti i requisiti per l'accesso al programma di studio selezionato e aver ricevuto l'ammissione all'università specifica. I candidati selezionati saranno inoltre incoraggiati a ricoprire il ruolo di ambasciatori del programma GREAT Scholarships e a partecipare a eventi di networking.

Si prega di notare che le scadenze per le candidature variano in base all’università ospitante e si collocano tra il 16 gennaio e il 1° giugno 2025. Maggiori informazioni sui requisiti di ammissibilità e sulle procedure di candidatura sono disponibili sul sito web dedicato al programma qui.

The classification released by the National Taiwan University uses bibliometric methods (i.e, the number of scientific articles and received citations), to compare the best 800 universities in the world.

In the 2021 edition, the University of Pisa is placed 227^th internationally and 7^th in Italy.

Beyond global rankings, NTU also provides a classification for 6 specific fields (NTU by Field), and one for 24 selected subjects (NTU by Subject).

The University of Pisa, among the Italian universities, is placed 5^th in the NTU by Field for "Natural Sciences", and 8^th for "Agriculture", while in the NTU by Subject it is placed 2^nd for "Physics", 12^th for "Agricultural Science" and 6^th for "Space Science".

How rankings are assembled

NTU website: results and methodology

The classification developed by THE is based on 13 performance indicators that encompass all areas of activity of the university: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and global image. The classification compares around 1200 universities worldwide.

In the 2022 edition, whose results were published in 2021, the University of Pisa is ranked in the position range 401-500 at a worldwide level and in 14^th place in Italy.

Beyond global rankings (World University Rankings), THE provides a classification by discipline (THE by Subject), evaluating disciplines grouped into 11 sectors.

In the 2022 edition, Computer Science is placed in the 251-300 position range, while Engineering, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Arts and Humanities are placed in the position range 301-400.

How rankings are assembled

THE website: results

THE website: methodology

The classification developed by the agency QS is based on academic performance data, both structural and reputational.

The QS ranking conducts a census on around 1000 universities worldwide.

In the 2022 edition, the University of Pisa is ranked in 388^th place worldwide, and 7^th in Italy, maintaining as its strong points academic reputation (207^th) and the quality of scientific production (321^st) where the University has gone up by 48 places from the 2021 edition. In the QS classification, the University of Pisa confirms the constant improvement in progress since 2017: since then it has gained a total of about 50 positions in an absolute sense (from the 431-440 position range to the 388_th position), and as many as 14 percentage points, entering in the first third of the ranking itself.

In addition to the global ranking, QS also draws up a ranking by discipline (QS by Subject), evaluating 48 disciplines grouped into 5 macro areas.

In the 2021 edition, the University of Pisa is present in all macro-areas. In particular, the University ranked 18^th in the world for "Classics and Ancient History" (3^rd in Italy after La Sapienza in Rome and the Scuola Normale Superiore), and 18^th in the world for "Physics & Astronomy" (2^nd place in Italy after La Sapienza in Rome).

Finally, QS also draws up the Graduate Employability Rankings, a ranking on the ability of universities to guarantee employment prospects for their graduates. The ranking analyses about 500 universities around the world.

The criteria used are the reputation of universities with employers, partnerships with businesses, the success of graduates in their careers, the active presence of companies in the University in the last twelve months and the employment rate of graduates a year after graduating.

In the 2020 edition, the University of Pisa ranked in the 161-170 range worldwide and 7^th place in Italy.

How rankings are assembled

QS website: results

QS website: methodology

The ARWU classification, published by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, takes into consideration academic performance, and compares around 1200 universities worldwide.

In the 2021 edition, the University of Pisa is placed in the 151-200 position range internationally and in the 1-4 position range in Italy.

Beyond global rankings, the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy also compiles a ranking by disciplines (ARWU of Academic Subjects), evaluating 54 grouped disciplines in 5 macro areas. In the 2021 edition, the University of Pisa placed in 29 disciplines, encompassing all 5 macro areas. In particular, the University was ranked third place in Italy for ‘Physics’, where it is among the best 75 in the world.

How rankings are assembled

ARWU website: results

ARWU website: methodology

World universities are ranked each year by international ranking institutes, which compare the best universities on different parameters.

How rankings are assembled

Each ranking institute adopts its own methodology, assigning different weights to various performance metrics. The metrics that are considered are usually:

• academic perfomance metrics (e.g., number of publications, number of citations, number of Nobel prize winners among the alumni, etc.);
• structural indicators (e.g., teaching staff to student ratio, research funding, number of foreign researchers and students);
• reputational indicators (e.g., opinion survey among academics, students, employers).

Rankings can be either global or by discipline.

LThe available rankings published each year include 800-1200 universities worldwide, quite likely the best ones in an estimated 18000-20000 (3000 of which in the EU area only). The very fact of appearing in those rankings, whatever the position in the rank, amounts to classifying among the top 4%-7% world universities.

Why they matter

In the last ten years students mobility has increased considerably around the world. Students who choose to study far from their residence, and especially abroad, choose their university also based on its standing in international rankings. Rankings are also used as a reference by researchers and funding bodies, and they influence their decisions.

The self-employment visa (visto per lavoro autonomo) allows a non-UE self-employed visiting fellow to enter and stay in Italy for a paid academic activity from the hosting University.

At the University of Pisa, for the first step, a non-EU visiting fellow has to apply to the Visiting Fellow Programme and contact the International Coordinator of the Department he/she chooses.

Regarding the visa procedure, the steps are the following:

1. The Department of the University of Pisa will contact the local Governmental Office called Ufficio Territoriale del Lavoro (Labour Territorial Service) in order to present the contract between the hosting Department and the visiting fellow and to request the Certificate stating that the visiting fellow will not be employed as a subordinate worker.
2. The Certificate released by the Labour Office is forwarded to the visiting Fellow (the Department will hold a copy of the Certificate).
3. The Visiting Fellow (or his/her Proxy), enclosing the Certificate released by the Labor territorial office, applies for the authorization (nulla osta) issued by the competent Italian Questura (Police Headquarters) stating that the visiting fellow is allowed to enter to Italy. The proxy may be an Italian colleague or hosting Department staff. For information on how to carry out the proxy, we suggest you to contact the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your Country. In addition, the visiting fellow has to show that he/she has already booked an accommodation here in Pisa.
4. After getting the authorization (nulla osta) from the Questura, the proxy will forward it to the visiting fellow who can finally apply for the specific Italian visa at the Italian Embassy/Consulate in his/her Country of residence, enclosing the Questura nulla osta. The specific self-employed Italian visa to apply for is called: "VISTO PER LAVORO AUTONOMO ai sensi dell’art. 27, comma 1, lett. c”.
5. In case the Embassy releases a long stay visa, type D, at his/her arrival in Pisa, the visiting fellow will have to apply for the Italian residency permit within the first 8 days from his/her arrival.

Please bear in mind that, in order to have the visa, the visiting fellow (at the very least) will be required to demonstrate:

1. That he/she has already booked an accommodation here in Pisa (minimum one month booking is necessary).
2. A contract showing a yearly income higher than the minimum level provided by the Italian law for exemption from participation in medical and health public assistance (8.500 Euro).

For further info about the visa, please visit http://vistoperitalia.esteri.it/home/en.

The Italian Embassy will give you all further information and useful suggestions. The list of Italian Embassies/Consulates is available at this page.

Information provided by:

International Promotion Unit
Piazza Torricelli, 4 56126 Pisa

Visas for accompanying family members (“familiari al seguito”) allow a non-EU citizen to enter Italy accompanied by his/her family members.

Even those who hold a study visa, in the cases and conditions foreseen by law, can apply for visas for accompanying family members.

However, before applying for visas for accompanying family members, it is necessary to apply for the authorization called “Nulla Osta” to SUI, Sportello Unico Immigrazione (the Single Immigration Desk) of the Prefecture of the City where you are going to stay.

The request for the authorization for the accompanying family member has to be done electronically (after the non-EU citizen has registered himself/herself and obtained an electronic ID called SPID identity) on the website of the Ministry of the Interior by the non-EU citizen himself. The procedure is in Italian language.

Alternatively, if the applicant is abroad, he/she can make use of a proxy and apply for the authorization through the Patronati offices (workers unions’ offices). The proxy may be an Italian or foreign colleague, already in Pisa, with a regular and valid residency permit. For information on how to carry out the proxy, we suggest you to contact the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your Country or one of the Patronati offices in Italy suggested below.

Please note that it is not easy to obtain the authorization for an accompanying family member, so it is highly suggested to contact the Embassy or Italian Consulate in your Country of residence well in advance. The Italian Embassy will give you all further information and useful suggestions. The list of Italian Embassies/Consulates is available at this page. 

Please bear in mind that the following documents/proofs (at the very least) will be required in order to obtain the authorization for an accompanying family member:

• Annual minimal income: has to derive from legal sources and has to be no lower than the annual amount of Italian social allowance (in 2022 equal to euro 6.079,45 per annum), plus half of the amount of the social allowance per family member. If the income is earned abroad, the income statement must be translated and legalized by the competent Italian consular diplomatic representation;
• Accommodation (in Italy) has to be consistent with house building standards. In order to prove this, a certificate from either the Italian Local Authority Office (Ufficio comunale) or a certificate of sanitary and hygienic suitability from the Asl (the Italian Health District in the town where you will be staying) needs to be released.
  Documentation required for accommodation:
  • Copy of lease agreement, loan for free use or title deed of the accommodation;
  • Suitability of accommodation, namely the certificate released by the Local Authority Office, attesting that your place of stay abides by the minimal standards according to the regional law concerning public/private housing.
• Certificate from the Registry Office (in your home Country) stating your family relationship. The certificate has to be translated, legalised and validated by the Italian Consular Authority of the applicant's home country/country of origin.

As for the accommodation, if you are abroad, we suggest you to book for at least one month a residence or hotel structure in Pisa.

Suggested accommodation:

Residence Le Benedettine (Foresteria dell’Università di Pisa)
Residence Tulipan

Further suggestions at this link.

Patronati offices (workers unions’ offices) suggested in Pisa:

Patronato ACLI, Via Francesco da Buti 20, tel. 050.913108, e-mail: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.  
Patronato INCA, Viale Bonaini 71, tel. 050.515217, e-mail: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.  

After examining the application for authorization of accompany family members, if successful, the delegate will be summoned by the Sportello Unico Immigrazione (Single Immigration Desk) to collect the Nulla Osta (authorization), which he/she will then forward to the non Eu citizen still abroad. At the same time, the Single Immigration Desk will forward the Nulla osta authorization to the Italian Embassy/Consulate in the Country where the non-Eu citizen reside so that he/she can finally apply for the accompanying family member visa.

Please bear in mind that only after having received the nulla osta (authorisation), it is possible to apply for an accompanying family member visa.

After obtaining the visa, once having arrived in Italy, non-EU citizens must apply for the residency permit within the first 8 days after their arrival.

Information provided by:

International Promotion Unit
Piazza Torricelli, 4 56126 Pisa