From Iran to Italy: How Hoda Mostafanezhad Won the Invest Your Talent in Italy Scholarship to Study Robotics at the University of Genoa

My name is Hoda Mostafanezhad and I came from Iran. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Shahid Beheshti University, one of the best universities in Iran, with the GPA of 3.64/4 or 17.3 out of 20.

Educational Background

During my education, I’ve participated in different academic festivals and collaborated with my classmates on several electronics projects. After my graduation, I worked at a Robotics academy in my hometown and improved my knowledge of robotics and embedded systems which was very helpful later during my master’s program.

Invest Your Talent in Italy Scholarship Details

In order to further enhance my education, I decided to study master’s degree in Italy and I started searching for the universities. During this period, I obtained my IELTS certificate with a score of 7. I have found several universities that are strong in the fields of electronics and robotics. Meanwhile, I was searching for the different types of scholarships for master’s students, and I came across the “Invest Your Talent in Italy” (IYT) scholarship, which I found quite interesting. In order to apply for IYT, I had to apply for the university in advance. At the end, by considering different factors, I have chosen Università di Genova since it is ranked as one of the best global universities, especially in the field of Robotics Engineering. Fortunately, I got admission from the university on March 2023, and in the summer 2023, I was awarded the scholarship as well.

IYT Scholarship is a highly competitive grant and is aimed at increasing cooperation between Italian universities and companies, so as to boost their level of internationalization. It also allows young foreign talents to get their specialization in Italy and to start a working experience in the Italian community. To apply for the IYT scholarship, candidates are required to be under the age of 26, to submit a bachelor's degree certificate, English language certificate, and a short introductory video explaining their motivation.

Renewal for the second year requires students to obtain an internship at an Italian company. This requirement motivated me to start looking for an internship at the right time, which led me to the opportunity to work at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT). It is truly an honor that I have the chance to complete both my internship and thesis at this company.

In the end, I would like to encourage all students to always search for new possibilities and never underestimate the power of taking the first step; You might come across something truly great!