Education with a Heart that Embraces the World, from the Fertile Cultural Land of the “Eternal City”

A personal interview with Andrea Prencipe， Rector of Libera Università  Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli （LUISS）

In this era of STEM， how can social science education find its true position and mission？ The philosophy of this University in the center of Rome may enlighten you.

Reporter_RU Yuanxin  Editor_LIU Weizhenping  Design_ ZHANG Yu

From the glorious age of the Roman Empire to the brilliant culture of the Renaissance， thousands of years of history have given Italy its reputation as “the cradle of European culture”. Splendid cultures gave birth to high-quality education. Since the middle ages， Italian education has been at the forefront in Europe. The country has many world-famous ancient universities. Galileo Galilei， Dante Alighieri and many other scientific and cultural giants led the way with their studies and teachings， leaving stories handed down from generation to generation.

As time goes by， the Italian higher education system is growing even further in stature. Arts， architecture， engineering and other majors all play a significant role in the world education field. Motivated by the curiosity to explore higher education in Italy， the reporter of Studying Abroad interviewed Andrea Prencipe， Rector of Luiss. The unique way of running a school in an Italian style， the international educational environment， the current situation of Chinese students university experience， and the prospect of Sino-Italian educational exchange... as the interview progressed， these questions were answered one by one.

The fertile cultural land of the “Eternal City” breeds a unique academic environment

Luiss is a private university founded in 1977. The campus is located in the center of Rome. As we all know， the 2，700-year-old city of Rome is known as the worlds largest “open-air History Museum”. The profound cultural accumulation in the city has given Luiss a rock solid foundation. Drawing from the rich cultural nourishment of “the eternal city” of Rome， the university has many unique environmental advantages. The campus of beautiful classical style school buildings， students studying and discussing academic issues， all show a learning atmosphere far removed from the hustle and bustle， one that awakens peoples pursuit of knowledge and truth.

As regards Italian culture and education， Andrea Prencipe has no qualms about expressing his admiration. Made in Italy is synonymous with high quality， artistry， beauty and traditional craftsmanship. This excellent style is commonly phrased as “Bello e Ben fatto” （meaning “beautiful and well-made”）. “Made in Italy has its roots in what we call ‘Educated in Italy： learning comes before design and production，” Andrea Prencipe explains. “The Luiss educational model is rooted in Italian culture; educated in Italy， in Rome， in Luiss means being immersed in this cultural heritage， engaging with a unique lifestyle： a truly unparalleled learning experience.”

The full Italian name of Luiss university is Libera Università  Internazionale  degli  Studi Sociali Guido Carli， which is translated into Chinese as 意大利國际社会科学自由大学 （Free International University of the Social Sciences）. As the name suggests， Luiss is a research university focusing on social sciences， with more than 9，000 students from all over the world. Luiss has 4 departments： Economics and Finance， Business and Management， Political Science and Law， for students studying for bachelors degrees， masters degrees and doctors degrees. It also has 4 schools for post-graduate education： Business School， School of Government， School of European Political Economy and School of Law， providing professional courses for MBA， EMBA， MA， LLM and other specialization programs.

Famous for its position as a top private business school， the university has always attached great importance to business engagement： getting corporate partners involved in curriculum design helps enhance the educational offer and ensure that it is responsive and attuned to new markets and needs， while always ensuring a high intellectual and cultural standing. Located in the heart of Rome， Luiss makes full use of the favorable conditions offered by its geographical location to form a close and stable connection with society.  The school is affiliated with the Italian Confederation of Industries （Confindustria） and has established special relationships with the business community， governmental institutions， and civil society.

Every year， by virtue of its high-quality education， Luiss continuously delivers many professionals to society and benefits from strong alumni resources in Italy and worldwide. The University attaches great importance to the participation of alumni， so that students， alumni and the university always maintain close interaction， thus building an increasingly extensive network of contacts. “Whether graduated or not， the relationship between Luiss and its alumni continues，” says Andrea Prencipe. “Luiss boasts a dynamic Alumni Community， replete with executives， top professionals and public administrators who act as mentors for their younger cohorts.”

No.1 private university in Italy

Committed to research in “Actionable Social Sciences”

According to the most accredited Italian universities rankings （Il Sole 24 ore） Luiss is in first position among private Italian Universities. These rankings are based on student services， internationalization and the teaching and research quality of each university.

In the ranking of European Business Schools published by the Financial times， Luiss has been ranked in the top 100 for many years. In the QS global university ranking， Luiss ranks in Business & Management， Accounting & Finance， Economics & Econometrics， Law and Politics & International Studies. In addition， Luiss entered the elite of education in 2015 upon being awarded the prestigious international EQUIS certification （European Foundation for Management Development）， which acknowledges a limited number of Business Schools that represent the top 1% of managerial education.

Behind this series of honors can be found the schools unique teaching philosophy and support model. Luiss offers lectures， seminars， workshops and other flexible and diverse methodologies， adopting open and problem-driven education methods. Luiss Universitys educational model combines academic rigor with practical relevance， aimed at providing students with in-depth competencies that have a strong pragmatic twist.

Andrea Prencipe stresses that at Luiss the purpose of teaching is to create the conditions for learning to take place; hence， the former is the means and the latter is the objective. The school is committed to actively assuming social responsibility and guiding students to take academic knowledge as a powerful tool to promote personal growth and to enhance general social welfare. “We hope to educate professionals with decisiveness and leadership qualities， to make students become doers who can transform academic knowledge into action ability by improving their entrepreneurship， learning competences， experimental skills and innovation ability.”

Multi-disciplinary learning is a major feature of Luiss programs. Andrea Prencipe tells us the school recently launched a BA in Management and Computer Science， which connects social sciences with data science to educate ‘augmented managers; a MSc in Global Management and Politics is offered， which connects management disciplines with international relations with the aim of training ‘cosmopolitan managers; the MSc in Law， Digital Innovation， and Sustainability are also characteristic programs of Luiss niversity that educate professionals to regulate the digital and sustainable world.

Luiss programs pay attention to being close to real life. Students are able to integrate within a real， rich and diverse learning environment. The university provides many volunteer activities and social practice opportunities and offers a series of soft skills training courses， including working in a community garden alongside autistic teens， managing social enterprises with incarcerated women， using new technology to launch a new start up， business games， teamwork， digital artisanry， and managing common goods.

The Luiss educational model challenges students by stimulating curiosity， fueling autonomy， refining self-discovery and encouraging critical thinking. According to Andrea Prencipe， the university model of Luiss is “actionable social science”.”Luiss graduates thus develop an expertise in one discipline， but at the same time they acquire the ability to interact with experts from a variety of other disciplinary backgrounds，”he says.” To put it plainly， they become what I call ‘Specialized-Generalists. “

“We believe that we are working together in Luiss to create a better world.”Andrea Prencipe believes that social sciences will continue to play a significant role in the emerging digital society. The mission of Luiss University is to educate social science professionals who are suitable for the new age and have a strong sense of social responsibility.

Cultivating “global citizens” in an international education environment.

International education has always been a key feature of Luiss University. It is known that the school recruits about 1，500 new students every year， a large proportion of these being foreign students. The university uses English as teaching language， equiping students with a truly international DNA that is designed for whoever wishes to pursue an international career.

When it comes to international education， Andrea Prencipee has a lot to say. As the Rector of Luiss University and Full Professor of Organization Theory and Innovation， Andrea Prencipe has rich experience in this field. A graduate of the University of Chieti-Pescara G. DAnnunzio and with a MA from the SantAnna School of Advanced Studies （Pisa， I）， he then went to SPRU， University of Sussex for further studies and earned a MSc and a PhD in Innovation Studies. As a professor， he has held positions at SPRU-University of Sussex， INSEAD， University G. DAnnunzio and has been Visiting Professor at BI Norway， Imperial College Business School and Rotterdam School of Management. He has been an invited speaker at such universities as Harvard Business School， the University of Michigan， the London Business School， Oxford University， and taught courses at Solvay Business School and at the National Economic University of Hanoi.

When asked about Italian education by the reporter of Studying Abroad， Andrea Prencipe tells a story that harks back to a few centuries ago.

The ‘Grand tour， which began in the late 16th century and flourished in the 18th century， was what they called the education trips made by the youth of European nobles at that time， based on the idea of situated education through exposure and immersion within a unique cultural legacy. “‘Educated in Italy was quite a resounding primacy at the time of Renaissance Italy， a true environment for innovation，” Andrea Prencipe explains.

Even today， Italian universities still hold a strong attraction for international students. Luiss welcomes them with open arms. The number of international students enrolled at Luiss University has been increasing for the last years. Luiss international students come from Europe， Asia， Africa， North and South America.

“Global Engagement is a key element of our strategy. Luiss strives to improve its international dimension to pursue its mission，” Andrea Prencipe affirms. “In view of this， our student exchange program has been further developed over the years. More and more Luiss students are able to visit other partner schools; at the same time， more and more foreign students are able to come to study at Luiss. “

According to reports， Luiss University has set up a number of scholarships dedicated to international students. Scholarships are merit-based， and are awarded to deserving students together with the admission offer. Luiss has also dedicated offices to international students， providing a wide range of practical assistance： applying for a visa residence permit， purchasing medical insurance， obtaining an Italian tax code， applying for a bank account， looking for a high-quality dormitory or housing ... From the first moment students enter the stunning Luiss campus， all the important processes they need to undertake are supported by the International Office of the university. In addition， Luiss University offers free Italian courses for international students to help them master basic language knowledge and facilitate communication in daily life.

The unique “Language Café” is a beautiful haven with an international style on the campus. The café is a multi-lingual home for creative collaboration， where all students and faculty can gather to learn about news in different languages and browse international newspapers， magazines and books. The Café provides free coffee and tea， three makerspaces and a theater area， providing resources and space for teachers and students to participate in various activities.

“I am convinced of the fundamental importance of the internationalization of academic research and teaching，”Andrea Prencipe stresses. “Throughout their academic career at Luiss， students are exposed to a variety of cultures to enhance their role as global citizens.”

Determined and talented Chinese students studying in Italy and developing intercultural skills

Chinese students are also important members of the Luiss family. Currently， there are 54 Chinese students studying at Luiss University. Andrea Prencipe gives Chinese students a very high evaluation： “I have often found Chinese students to be extremely determined and motivated. We have had excellent students from China. Our classes benefit greatly from the addition of talented and motivated Chinese students.” “Determined” and “motivated” are the strongest characteristics that Andrea Prencipe has noted in Chinese students. “They have successfully completed their programs at Luiss and have moved on to exciting careers.” It is not easy for young students to study alone in a foreign country. Difficulties brought by cultural differences are inevitable and it iss normal for some students to find it hard to adapt to new cultural environment.  According to Andrea Prencipe， an experience abroad may well be challenging， but it is definitely the best way to develop and refine your intercultural skills. “Intercultural skills are rarely learned by reading a book or sitting an exam; they require full immersion in an environment which is multicultural， multi-ethnic and multilingual. My advice is to keep calm， take time to enjoy the local cultural heritage， try to live by the local standards and habits， integrate yourselves in your host country and get to know local people.”

For its part， Luiss University provides a warm and caring home for Chinese students. At the Mid-Autumn Festival， Spring Festival and other traditional Chinese festivals， Chinese students will organize various celebrations with the help of the university， and the official account of Luiss will also send blessings to Chinese students on social media.

For Chinese students， Luiss university offers a heartfelt welcome. Andrea Prencipe also revealed the aspects that the university values when recruiting international students who want to study in Luiss. “We aim to recruit talented and motivated students： we request proficiency in logical， numerical， verbal and reasoning skills. We also make sure that here at Luiss each of our students finds an environment to thrive in and fully express their potential， given our belief that everyone has their own， individual， unique strengths.”

Global education exchange is on the rise and Chinese universities are a priority for Luiss

The establishment of global educational cooperation is another way for Luiss University to enhance its international environment. Currently， Luiss university has launched many cooperation projects with universities from all over the world. It is reported that Luiss university has signed more than 290 cooperation agreements with universities in 57 countries around the world， launched a total of 41 double degree programs worldwide， and carries out programs such as student or faculty exchange and joint research projects with 271 universities on all continents. In addition， Luiss is also part of the QTEM Network. In Andrea Prencipes words， these collaborative projects “offer an essential international component to the DNA of Luiss programs”.

Luiss University has always attached great importance to collaboration with Chinese universities. It is well known that Luiss has launched cooperation projects with Tsinghua University， Renmin University of China， Beijing Normal University， School of Foreign Affairs， Fudan University， Shanghai Jiaotong University， Wuhan University， Xiamen University，Zhejiang University，  Harbin University of technology， Ningbo Nottingham University， Macao University and other Chinese universities.

Andrea Prencipe also introduced the “Social Science University Network” （SSUN）， a vast initiative that Luiss and Renmin University of China have lauched in collaboration. Founded in November， 2019， SSUN counts 11 universities from all over the globe， with the aim of promoting cooperation in training， scientific research， academic innovation， as well as policy and regulation formulation. Andrea Prencipe attended the first plenary session of SSUN， where he said， “I hope this will be the beginning of a great cooperation between different regions of the world.”

In the interview， Andrea Prencipe tells the reporter of Studying Abroad that in the future， Luiss University will continue to strengthen its cooperation with Chinese universities. China and its prestigious universities are a priority for Luiss in the coming years， as they have been the past. “Our students can benefit enormously from completing their education at our Chinese partners and spending a period learning Chinese culture. Additionally， Luiss looks at the huge pool of talent in China as perfect candidates to become Luiss students.” Andrea Prencipe also reveals that， for instance， Luiss is working on the establishment of International Combined Programs （ICP）， which are vertical double degree programs that combine Bachelor and Master programs， with several top Chinese universities.

In recent years， collaboration between China and Italy in various fields has continued to grow， and educational exchanges are also in full swing. According to statistics， the number of student visa applications to Italy in 2019 is 40% higher than that of 2018. This progress is a result of the Belt and Road Initiative， the complementarities between Italian and Chinese higher education systems and the growing mutual understanding between the Chinese and Italian people.

2020 is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy， and educational cooperation between the two countries is also open to new opportunities for development. On this occasion， Andrea Prencipe expresses his hope and expectation for the continuous deepening of cooperation between the two countries. “We live in a world that is increasingly interconnected and interdependent. Of course， each country has individual and specific educational systems but that does not mean that synergies and mutual interests cannot be found. On the contrary， education benefits from an ever-greater internationalization of the programs.”

According to Andrea Prencipe， the aim of Luiss is to create unique educational paths for students from all backgrounds and from around the world in a range of related fields so as to inform public policy， economic decision-making， and social welfare both nationally and globally. “This means nurturing creative thought and intellectual exploration and educating students to be critical thinkers and skilled professionals who work for the betterment of society. We are proud to count many Chinese universities among our partners in this endeavor.”

Scan the QR code to follow Wechat Account of Luiss University of RomeWeibo Official Account：

@意大利Luiss大學www.luiss.edu