The government's plan to spread Italian: scholarships and chairs abroad

Italian makes Italy grow. And laying the foundations for an extended community of speakers is the pivotal idea of the International Conference on Italophony to be held next autumn, launched by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani at the fifth edition of the States General of the Italian language in the world. The appointment constitutes the most important institutional moment for the dissemination and promotion of Italian on a global scale. "We are a people that has sailed, that has travelled the world, and I believe we have a duty to defend Italian first and foremost at home," said the minister. Therefore, "I would like to ensure that all Italian speakers meet in Rome to promote our language in the world. We also want to involve countries where there is a tradition of Italophony and we must make them have the proudness of being Italian'.

The international conference will be attended by representatives from countries where Italian is an official or vehicular language (San Marino, the Holy See, Switzerland and, in the areas of historical settlement of the indigenous Italian community, Croatia and Slovenia); from those where there are important Italian diasporas (Argentina, Brazil, the United States, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Belgium) those countries where there are Italian-speaking linguistic minorities (Montenegro) or which boast significant historical and cultural links with Italy (Albania, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, Malta, Principality of Monaco, Somalia and Tunisia); of the international organisations that safeguard multilingualism (Council of Europe, the EU and Unesco) for which Italian is one of the official languages (OSCE).

It is estimated that approximately two million people all over the planet are dedicated to the study of Italian language and culture. On the university front, last year the Farnesina granted 289 grants to Italian language professors at foreign universities, reaching almost 148,000 students. In the context of primary and secondary education, during the last two years the government has formalised bilateral agreements with Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, cooperation models that are believed to be replicable in other areas considered of primary importance. One example is Eritrea, where - thanks to the activities of the Italian embassy - the first Italian language courses were restarted after a period of interruption, aimed in particular at the adult population.

The goal of attracting talented individuals from international backgrounds is another priority for the executive within the framework of cultural diplomacy and the broader growth direction promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our country continues to demonstrate a remarkable capacity to attract students from all over the world: at present, there are over 110,000 international students regularly enrolled in Italian institutions dedicated to higher education, of whom about 16,000 come from the African continent. In 2024, 1,291 scholarships were awarded, for a total economic investment of over 10,479,000 euro. An increase of 45% over the previous year, 2023, and an increasing focus on the African continent in line with the priorities outlined in the Mattei Plan (to which 623 scholarships were specifically allocated).

There are initiatives specifically dedicated to particular areas of interest, such as the 'Invest Your Talent' programme. This is designed to attract young talent and promote training that integrates academic experience with work placement through company internships (80 scholarships will be awarded in 2024). The project called 'ItalYou' aims to train future Italian language teachers to work abroad. In the academic year 2024-2025, 77 students from the African continent were accepted into the programme, who are currently continuing their studies at the University for Foreigners in Perugia.