“At first, I was shocked by the news. It is quite alarming to know that at the university where you study and live, in the cultural heart of the city, where you have to keep an open mind, young men have been recruited and went to war to fight for Daesh,” Barbara Santomartino, a language student at the University of Turin, told Sputnik.
The University of Turin has many students from North African countries such as Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.
“I am afraid that the majority might start to look at them in a suspicious way. This situation might cause psychosis and intolerance. From now on, Arabists can be seen as potential jihadists But it is the University’s primary job to keep an atmosphere of liberality,” Santomartino told Sputnik.
The university has students of many different nationalities, cultures and religions. Communication and interaction between students of different nationalities happens naturally, according to Barbara.
“When coming to class, you come to know people with different cultural backgrounds. I believe that the university’s administration has to create Italian courses for international students as, for example, Chinese students find it difficult to master the Italian language.”
“We must continue to live our normal lives and attend university courses. Hopefully, the situation will be under control,” announced Santomartino to Sputnik.
