Second edition of the Master’s degree programme for Intercultural Community Educators to train professionals capable of building relationships, managing conflicts and promoting inclusion

Applications are open until 16 September for the first-level University Master’s programme for Intercultural Community Educators – EDC at the University of Insubria, promoted by the Department of Law, Economics and Cultures.

Now in its second edition, the Master’s programme responds to the growing need for professionals capable of working in social and educational contexts characterised by cultural, linguistic and religious diversity. The programme develops skills to build relationships, foster dialogue, prevent and manage conflicts, and contribute to the creation of inclusive communities.

The Director of the Master’s programme is Professor Antonio Angelucci, from the Department of Law, Economics and Cultures at the University of Insubria. The Academic Coordinator is Professor Elisabetta Moneta Mazza, who brings extensive experience in intercultural education to the EDC programme, also gained through fifteen editions of the Filis Master’s programme – Intercultural Trainers of Italian as a Foreign Language, one of the University of Insubria’s long-standing programmes dedicated to intercultural education, inclusion and language training.

A distinctive feature of the EDC Master’s programme is the integration of university education and practical activities. The programme focuses on participatory methods, workshops, peer exchange, simulations and the analysis of real-life situations, with the aim of providing tools that can be applied in a variety of educational, social and community settings.

The programme consists of eight monthly modules, from October 2026 to May 2027, covering communication and community inclusion, the sociology of cultural and communication processes, group psychology, relational interview techniques, conflict management and restorative justice, migration and fundamental rights, the religious aspects of multiculturalism, and the use of artificial intelligence in community work.

Particular attention is therefore given to interpersonal skills, conflict management, knowledge of fundamental rights, cultural and religious pluralism, and the transformations that new technologies are bringing to educational work.

The teaching format is designed to enable participation by those who are already working professionally. Each of the eight modules includes 12 hours of training: eight hours of in-person classes on Saturday, one Saturday per month, and four hours online, divided into two weekday sessions.

The in-person sessions are held in Como, at the Oratorio di San Bartolomeo, Via Milano 165, from 9 am to 1 pm and from 2 to 6 pm. Online sessions take place from 5.30 to 7.30 pm and are recorded and made available on the platform, allowing participants to access them asynchronously at a later time.

One of the key features of the Master’s programme is the personalised project work, developed in line with the interests and professional fields of each participant. The project may be carried out in communities, schools, youth centres, parishes, associations and other social and educational settings, and may include the design and implementation of initiatives, participation in educational activities, and observation and analysis of interpersonal dynamics.

The project is supervised by lecturers and tutors and contributes to the final report, creating a direct link between university education, experience in the local community and professional development.

The Master’s programme is aimed at graduates who work or wish to work in educational, social and community settings: communities and family homes, facilities for minors, youth centres, schools, local authorities, youth and parish centres, cooperatives, associations, voluntary organisations, healthcare and correctional facilities and, more generally, environments where it is necessary to manage relationships between people with different cultural, religious and social backgrounds.

The programme can represent an important opportunity for professional development both for those already working in education and social services and for those wishing to develop new professional skills in a sector where the ability to understand differences, manage conflicts and build relationships is increasingly in demand.

The EDC programme is based on a concept of education that goes beyond the transmission of knowledge. A community educator must be able to listen, recognise vulnerabilities, value differences, prevent and manage conflicts, and help build relationships based on trust. In a society characterised by growing cultural and religious pluralism, mobility and new forms of vulnerability, building communities is becoming a professional skill in its own right.

The first-level University Master’s programme for Intercultural Community Educators – EDC awards 60 CFU (university credits). Applications for the second edition, academic year 2026/2027, must be submitted exclusively online by 12 noon on Wednesday 16 September 2026.

Official EDC Master’s programme page – University of Insubria:
Master’s programme for Intercultural Community Educators – EDC

Online application:
University of Insubria Student Services