A small international group, with students from Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, University of Padua, Renmin University in Beijing, and Shanghai International Studies University, is preparing for the American experience with professors from Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business.

As part of the Master's programme in Accounting and Finance, outstanding students from unibz have the opportunity to complete their second year of studies at the prestigious Baruch College in New York, finishing with an Italian-American Double Degree. From 15th July to 6th August, they are attending intensive preparatory courses – led by Joseph Onochie, Professor of Investments, and Armen Hovakimian, Professor of Corporate Finance at Baruch College – at the Bozen-Bolzano Campus. While students from Bozen and Padua attend the courses in Bozen, the students from Renmin University in Beijing and Shanghai International Studies University in Shanghai join online.

Professor Claudia Curi, Degree Course director of the Master’s in Accounting and Finance, organised the courses in close collaboration with Baruch College. She emphasizes the significance of this international cooperation: "We at unibz coordinate the courses and act as a ‘hub’ for students preparing to pursue the double degree at Baruch College. This collaboration with the top American university fills us with pride." The preparatory courses offer our students "a unique opportunity to thoroughly prepare for their studies in New York, where they will also gain valuable international and intercultural experiences for their future careers in the finance sector," says Curi.

Alessia Savegnago, student at unibz, expresses her enthusiasm for the courses led by the American professors: "The lectures in Bozen are very interactive and include many practical examples. This makes learning exciting and prepares us for our year abroad in New York."

It is particularly gratifying that two students from unibz will be able to complete this academic year at Baruch College thanks to a scholarship from the Südtiroler Volksbank. “This underscores the importance of financial support and partnerships for academic exchange and the personal development of students”, says Claudia Curi.

The real challenge begins at the end of August: a total of 15 students will move their study location to New York, directly into the heart of the financial world, to complete their second year of the Master's programme and ultimately graduate with a Double Degree.

(ros)