Welcome to USI Università della Svizzera italiana

As a young and dynamic academic community, USI intends to do more than just consolidate the achievements of its first 15 years of activity. To boost its academic appeal nationally and internationally, but also to play a more valuable, more buoyant part on the Swiss academic scene, our University has recently set itself new challenges.

Today, USI comprises four Faculties, with a student population of around 3,000, 60% of which made up of international students from more than 100 different countries. Its taught courses (in Italian and English) cover the whole gamut from Bachelor's to PhD degree programmes.

USI will continue to invest in the existing Faculties - Architecture, Economics, Communication, and Informatics - but it also plans to develop new initiatives designed to stimulate and enhance its unique profile within the Swiss universities system. Strategically, USI has chosen to invest in two fields - the computational sciences and medicine - whose future potential is undisputed. No doubt, both fields attract scientific interest; but they are also set to bring substantial benefit to local economic growth, as well as contribute to solving urgent nationwide issues. USI's computational project is well underway and its medicine project is conducting a feasibility study in view of creating a Graduate Medical School for clinical training.

USI's commitment to defending the Italian component of our Country continues, for the safeguard of a linguistic and cultural heritage which plays a pivotal role in the national unity and cohesion.

As it enters its 16th academic year, USI may be seen as a powerhouse of ideas, a source of inspiration for new and (why not) bold, daring visions. Hopefully, these visions will in turn bring forth new initiatives in future, projects of major impact for this territory, our Italian-speaking corner of Switzerland. In a booklet entitled Uno sguardo sul futuro dell'USI ("A glimpse into the future of USI", downloadable in pdf), USI outlines its development plan for the next few years, drawing up possible scenarios looking ahead to 2020. The booklet was written in the belief that sharing your goals takes you that much closer to reaching them.

Piero Martinoli
President, USI Università della Svizzera italiana



Activities in the city
Lugano and Mendrisio offer several recreational opportunities. Some student associations organise parties, meetings, sports and leisure activities.

USI-SUPSI Sport Service promotes joint sports activities between the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) and the University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), as well as coordinating participation in national university sports events.
For information: http://www.sport.usi.ch

Mendrisio and its surroundings offer a range of recreational activities, including musical performances (Musica nel Mendrisiotto), theater performances (Cinema Teatro and Excelsior in Chiasso), museums (Museo d’Arte in Mendrisio, Pinacoteca Züst in Rancate and Museo Vela in Ligornetto), cinema (Mignon and Plaza), and a film club (Cineclub del Mendrisiotto). With USI ID cards, students also benefit from discounted prices for cinema tickets.

USI students are invited to use sports facilities (gym for volleyball and basketball, football field, indoor swimming pool) at the Canavée municipal school in Mendrisio and at the Lugano Lyceum. The school offices provide information and schedules.

Further information on sports and leisure, cultural programmes, local festivals and community events is available at the local Tourist Offices and on the Web:
www.ticino.ch
www.luganotourism.ch
www.agendalugano.ch
www.mendrisiotourism.ch

Lugano
Lugano Turismo
Palazzo Civico
6900 Lugano
Phone: +41 91 913 32 32
info@lugano-tourism.ch

Mendrisio
Ente Turistico del Mendrisiotto e Basso Ceresio
Via L. Lavizzari 2
6850 Mendrisio
Phone: +41 91 641 30 50
Fax +41 91 641 30 59
info@mendrisiottotourism.ch