Chongqing. 44 students from the University of Palermo are ready to leave everything and go to China to study Chinese for six months and possibly more. Judging by the figures released by the Italian Language School for Foreigners of the University of Palermo, according to the director, Mari D’Agostino, there is a growing interest in China withing the University of Palermo. In fact, there are several dozens of students from Palermo who in the last five years have had a study experience in Chongqing, a megalopolis of 32 million inhabitants in south central China. Just under half of these students have decided to move permanently to China for study or for work after their study-abroad experience. The 44 Palermo students participated in the selection made by the university that is also part of a collaboration agreement with the Sichuan International Studies University – SISU, based in Chongqing. They contribute to 20 scholarships provided by the University of Palermo and the same number is offered by the Chinese government. The collaboration between the two universities, which started in 2012, has triggered an intense international mobilisation. In fact, every year, not only dozens of students reach the “Celestial Empire”, but a large number of Chinese students from Chongqing will come to Palermo to study at the Italian Language School for Foreigners or enrolling in the university. This semester there are 15 Chinese students from SISU and the total number of students mobilised between the Palermo-Chongqing axis is 150 students. (9Colonne)