The University of Granada (UGR) held its Induction Days for International Students from Wednesday 10 to Friday 12 September 2025.
Thanks to our university's active involvement in numerous international mobility programmes, over 1,800 international students will join our classrooms at the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year. These students will undertake mobility periods lasting either one semester or the full academic year.
The programme of events, organised by the UGR's Vice-Rectorate for Internationalization for the beginning of each semester, is designed to welcome international mobility students and help them adapt to life in Granada. It also aims to provide these students with information on important issues relating to their time at the University and in the city.
In addition to the event's face-to-face activities, a regularly updated website has been created to provide international students with useful information. Available in Spanish and English, the website covers topics such as accommodation, university canteens, sports, culture, volunteering, academic information, and courses offered by the Modern Languages Centre (CLM), Confucius Institute and Centre for Slavic Cultures. It also offers information on administrative and health-related procedures.
The Induction Days began on Wednesday 10 September at 9:30 a.m. with a general information session held in the auditorium of the Health Sciences Technology Park (PTS). Staff from the UGR’s International Relations Office led the event, which opened with a welcome address by the UGR's Director for International Mobility, Simón Suárez. This was followed by a short concert performed by the Faculty of Science Choir from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., after which there was a second information session for students from other faculties. The latter session began with a welcome address by the Rector of the University of Granada, Pedro Mercado.
Furthermore, the UGR's faculties and schools held specific information sessions to inform international students about academic matters and the procedures they must complete upon joining the UGR.
On Tuesday 9 September at 11:00 a.m., incoming students from the Arqus Alliance universities (Graz, Leipzig, Lyon 1, Maynooth, Minho, Padua, Vilnius and Wrocław) were invited to attend the Arqus Student Reception at the School of Architecture (ETSAG). The event aimed to welcome these students to the UGR and explain how the Arqus Alliance can help them make the most of their mobility experience.
To further promote student integration, the Modern Languages Centre will run a series of language exchanges at its headquarters in the Placeta del Hospicio Viejo on 17 and 18 September.
Another important tool to help international students settle into life at the UGR is the UGR Mentor Programme. This initiative pairs UGR students with small groups of international students to provide them with help and support, particularly at the start of their mobility period. It also helps these incoming students to adapt more easily to living in Granada and ensures they have a friend when they arrive.
The Erasmus Student Network, which also participated in the welcome sessions, will organise a series of recreational activities throughout September. These activities are intended to help international students feel more at home and enjoy themselves during their first weeks at our university.
Welcoming international students who have chosen to study at the UGR through international mobility programmes and modalities (i.e. Erasmus+ programme, UGR International Mobility Programme, free-mover programme, or the Arqus Alliance) is one of the institutional activities included in the UGR Internationalization Strategy. For many years, within the framework of the EU-funded Erasmus+ Programme, the UGR has been one of the leading European HE institutions in terms of both incoming and outgoing student mobility. It has held the top position for over a decade, sending around 2,000 UGR students abroad and receiving another 2,000 international students each year.
During the Induction Days, international students also learned about Granada's bid to become the European Capital of Culture in 2031, as well as the significance that this achievement would have, given that the UGR will celebrate its fifth centenary in 2031.
The Induction Days are a testament to our university's leading role as a welcoming and cosmopolitan institution, which offers international students a unique opportunity to study in an environment characterised by quality, innovation, diversity, equality and tolerance.
Contact details:
Simón Suárez Cuadros
Director for International Mobility
Vice-Rectorate for Internationalization of the UGR
Email: @email
Induction Days for International Students