The Paraninfo at the University of Almería hosted the Orientation Day, a welcome event for exchange students joining for the first semester of the 2026/27 academic year. In total, the campus will host 544 students from 187 universities worldwide, with 423 enrolled for the first semester and 108 for the full academic year.
José Carlos Redondo, Vice-Rector for International Projection at UAL, emphasized the institutional and social significance of the gathering. "The event we are celebrating today is important for the entire University as we welcome Erasmus students for the first semester. It's a way to show who we are, who the University of Almería is, and to extend a warm welcome with our best intentions to all these students coming from around the world," he stated.
UAL continues to expand its global reach. The Erasmus+ KA131 program remains the primary channel, accounting for 80.33% of the student body (437 individuals). This is followed by the national SICUE program (9.19%), Erasmus+ International Mobility (5.51%), Erasmus+ KA171 (2.57%), UALMUNDO (2.21%), and ISEP (0.18%).
This influx of new students confirms the upward trend for the Almería campus. "This year, a positive development is that we have increased the number of students coming to Almería by almost 10%," noted the Vice-Rector. "Almería is growing as a destination, which impacts UAL and also the wider Almería society."
In terms of nationalities, European students form the largest group, led by Italy (23.90%), Germany (14.15%), Poland (13.60%), and France (7.72%), collectively representing nearly 60% of the total. Other participating countries include Mexico, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and Romania, alongside a growing engagement with new markets in Asia and Central Europe. "The countries contributing the most students are Italy, Poland, and Germany; the core is European, but we are opening doors to many other nationalities from Central Europe and Asia. Asia is also emerging; we are establishing contact with many regions in Asia, and Asians are very fond of this destination," explained Redondo.
The welcome day featured a comprehensive program designed to aid the young attendees' adaptation. Following registration and the academic welcome by José Carlos Redondo, José Antonio Álvarez Bermejo (Director of International Mobility), and María Fernanda Rodríguez (Project Manager), informative sessions were held by the Office of International Relations, the Language Center, the Virtual Classroom service, and talks on citizen security, cultural shock, and university sports life.
The event concluded with presentations on leisure and cultural offerings, a flamenco performance, a campus tour led by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), and a communal paella.
