Luiss welcomes new students with a focus on educational innovation and the values of sport

Luiss celebrated its new students today with the traditional Freshers’ Welcome Ceremony, the highlight of Freshers’ Week, the week dedicated to welcoming and orientating new students. The event brought together the University’s senior management, lecturers from the various departments and a number of student-athletes – leading figures in Italian sport – in the “Mario Arcelli” Great Hall.

The event was opened by Vice-Chancellor Paolo Boccardelli, who outlined the University’s future direction: “Luiss continues to strengthen its educational model, combining scientific rigour with a constant openness to the dynamics of global markets and a strong focus on the internationalisation of its study programmes. Our mission is to provide our students with the most advanced cognitive tools to develop the analytical thinking essential for navigating the major processes of transformation, both current and future.”

Among the key new developments presented is a ‘cutting-edge’ and highly innovative educational programme, characterised by state-of-the-art experiential learning activities and models: from the integration of Artificial Intelligence into study programmes to the partnership with Google for Education, to certified blockchain modules, alongside two new virtual assistants launched on 1 September: the first to help students navigate the University’s services, calls for applications and administrative procedures, whilst the second enables them to search, explore and make connections between the teaching materials provided by lecturers.
Following the address by Director-General Rita Carisano, the focus turned to the values of sport with FIGC President Giovanni Malagò and four Luiss Top Athletes, multi-award-winning champions including: Eloisa Coiro (Athletics), Filippo Macchi (Fencing), Lucrezia Ruggiero (synchronised swimming) and Alice Volpi (fencing). The event – moderated by Rai Sport journalist Alessandro Antinelli – highlighted the Dual Career model, which enables student-athletes to combine high-level competitive sport with a bachelor’s and master’s degree programme.

This was followed by the awards ceremony for outstanding dissertations, attended by Antonio Gullo, Dean of the Undergraduate School; Enzo Peruffo, Dean of the Graduate School; and Elisa Zambito Marsala, Head of Education Ecosystem and Global Value Programmes, Intesa Sanpaolo, who emphasised the role of education and the development of human capital, referring to the Look4ward Skills Observatory, developed in collaboration with Luiss University.

In his closing remarks, Luiss President Giorgio Fossa reiterated the University’s mission: ‘Welcoming our young people today means taking on, from the very first day of their arrival at Luiss, the responsibility to support them on a comprehensive educational journey, characterised by a solid academic grounding complemented by a sound set of values. Technical skills are, of course, essential, but ethical values, a sense of responsibility and team spirit are also needed to enable them, first and foremost, to become informed citizens and entrepreneurs in their own right. It is this combination that will prepare our students to lead the society of tomorrow.”