Raising awareness among the next generation about the values of legality and respect for the rules through dialogue, listening, and connections between university and high school students, so we can grow together: this is the essence of “Legality and Merit in Schools,” a project promoted by Luiss Guido Carli and conceived by its Vice President, Paola Severino, now in its fifth edition. Today, Thursday, March 10, the project was presented in the Mario Arcelli Great Hall by the following: Minister of Education Patrizio Bianchi (via video message), Minister of University Maria Cristina Messa (remotely), National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor Giovanni Russo, and ANAC President Giuseppe Busia.

The project was launched in 2017 and developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of University and Research, the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Council of the Judiciary (CSM), the National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC), and the National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate (DNA).

Between March and May 2022, the initiative will truly take off with a series of meetings. These will bring together Luiss university students, coordinated by young doctoral candidates, postdocs, researchers, and tutors from the university—forming a task force of 148 ambassadors for legality. Also participating will be students from 18 schools across the country, 4 juvenile detention centers (Bologna, Caltanissetta, Quartucciu, and Turin), and 3 Social Services Offices for Minors (Rome, Trieste, and Palermo).

Students will collaborate on specific projects to promote and spread a culture of legality in its various forms, from active citizenship to combating organized crime and corruption, and from immigration to the process of European integration. 

“The fifth edition of the ‘Legality and Merit in Schools’ project continues our commitment to spreading the values of legality and respect for the rules, encouraging dialogue and exchange among students from all over Italy,” said Luiss Vice President Paola Severino, adding, “This initiative confirms our university’s strong commitment to sharing and implementing these principles. We stand at the forefront, alongside the nation’s highest institutions, with the ambition to identify the dreams and needs of young people and inspire them to pursue them while upholding ethical values. We invest in their future, teaching them that only the values of merit and legality ensure lasting and shared success.”

The initiative will culminate in a final event that will honor the most deserving projects and students.

Specifically, thanks to the support of Lottomatica, this edition’s main partner, two scholarships will be awarded to students who are admitted to a Luiss Bachelor’s or single-cycle Master’s degree program starting in the 2022–2023 academic year.

Additionally, the university will award 22 more scholarships to third- and fourth-year students from participating high schools for university orientation summer schools. Two scholarships will go to the top-ranked school, and one will be awarded to each of the other participating institutions. Some summer schools will be held in person at the same juvenile correctional facilities and Social Service Offices for Minors.