Luiss Guido Carli University is expanding its presence in Latin America by opening a new chapter of the Alumni Association in São Paulo and allocating new scholarships to recognize the merit of international students from around the world.

The inauguration of the new office is part of the dual mission to Brazil and Argentina undertaken by the Vice-Rector for Internationalization, Raffaele Marchetti. From Monday, February 27, to Thursday, March 9, he will be traveling between Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Curitiba, and then continue his journey to Buenos Aires, where meetings with institutions and universities are scheduled.

The mission’s goal is to strengthen Luiss’s global commitment—currently ranked 22nd for Political and International Studies in the QS by Subject 2022 rankings—with a particular focus on Latin America, to promote its vision of future-oriented university education. This project will also be realized by strengthening partnerships with local universities and the Italian Chambers of Commerce in Brazil and Argentina, to meet the high demand for higher education in a region where over 60 million people of Italian origin live.

“These new Luiss initiatives strengthen and accelerate our internationalization efforts, which currently include over 315 partner universities in 64 countries. Following our arrival in the USA, we are proud to lay the groundwork for further expanding our educational vision, with the aim of welcoming new talent from Brazil and Argentina. We want to offer them, and especially the large Italian-Brazilian and Italian-Argentinian communities, the opportunity to study in Rome. This includes scholarships specifically for students of Italian origin, in addition to the more than 90 scholarships for international students already allocated for the 2023–2024 academic year, to support the merit of young people from around the world,” said Vice-Rector for Internationalization Raffaele Marchetti.

To kick off the university’s South American mission, Professor Marchetti will participate in the Social Sciences Universities Network (SSUN) Conference in Rio de Janeiro. This annual event brings together over 20 global universities to discuss potential developments in the social sciences.

Additionally, on Wednesday, March 1, the new Chapter of the Luiss Alumni Association (ALL) will be inaugurated in São Paulo at the Italian Consulate. This marks the fifteenth location for a network that boasts over 54,000 professionals worldwide and will serve as a focal point for alumni in Latin America. The new Chapter will be led by Carlo Cauti, a journalist and President of the Association of Foreign Correspondents in Brazil.

Following that, from Monday, March 6th to Thursday, March 9th, the trip will conclude with an arrival in Argentina. There, with the support of the Embassy in Buenos Aires, there will be meetings with local communities as well as orientation initiatives with the capital’s leading schools and universities.

The mission to South America is part of an internationalization strategy that, in October 2022, saw the university’s leadership—including Vice President Paola Severino and Rector Andrea Prencipe—launch the Luiss US Foundation in Washington, D.C. The foundation is dedicated to fundraising activities with American universities, companies, and organizations.