Italy has always been a top market in Europe for sending prospective students to the UK. Since the UK’s departure from the EU and the global Covid-19 pandemic, we are observing a new trend with fewer Italians applying to study at UK universities. In the meantime, Italy is becoming an increasingly attractive study destination for English language courses, with interest not just from domestic students but also from other EU countries and neighbouring countries in non-EU Europe, Central Asia and beyond.

Until now, there has been very limited formal research into the quality and quantity of existing collaborations. This research was commissioned to understand the current situation, potential opportunities and capacity, and obstacles encountered before, during and after establishing partnerships between the two countries. These include higher education programmes at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level degrees.