Today, Thursday, January 12, Luiss Guido Carli celebrated the inauguration of the 2022-2023 Academic Year in the Aula Magna of the Viale Pola Campus. The event was attended by the university’s leadership, and an honorary doctorate in Management was awarded to Ornella Barra, Chief Operating Officer – International at Walgreens Boots Alliance. It was a significant year for the university, marked by numerous achievements and international recognition that solidify its standing in teaching, research, sustainability, and employment.

During the ceremony, Ornella Barra delivered a keynote address titled “Doing Business: The Importance of Values,” in which she sought to convey a message to the students in attendance: “Be happy with the goals you’ve achieved, but keep looking around. Seize the opportunities that come your way, and don’t wait for them to knock on your door—go find them! Seek out new challenges each day to grow and improve, and view each achievement as a springboard for further growth. Look at the world with a positive and creative approach, without letting the barriers of the ordinary and the established hold you back. Work with passion, stay curious, and always be brave in whatever profession you choose. Be the architects of your own future! ”

“Ornella Barra exemplifies a courageous entrepreneur who is open to international challenges. The entrepreneurial and international mindset must increasingly define the leaders of the future: at Luiss, students explore innovative learning models that allow them to build their own personal toolkit to investigate, interpret, and take action in the real world, and above all, to reinvent or create new professions. A toolkit with seemingly paradoxical characteristics: it must be rich, yet also half-empty; protected, yet open; efficient, yet ready to take on new challenges,”said Rector Andrea Prencipe.  

General Director Giovanni Lo Storto commented: “In these times that demand greater adaptability and flexibility, our daily lives need open and inclusive leaders who can tackle today's complex reality. At Luiss, we encourage students to challenge themselves, learning that in life there are no pre-defined formulas that apply in every situation. Volunteer activities, ESG workshops, soft skills, and sports—these are the cross-cutting life-long learning experiences that enrich our students' resumes and profiles, preparing them for a constantly evolving job market.”  

This year, the Free International University of Social Studies saw a new record in applications, with an 18% increase for Bachelor’s, Single-Cycle, and Master’s degree programs compared to the previous year. The University continues to grow in teaching and research, increasingly establishing itself as a point of reference for a cosmopolitan community with strong ties to the world of work. In fact, the employment rate of graduates one year after graduation remains at 94%, with peaks of 97% for the Department of Economics and Finance.   Furthermore, the university’s international reach is growing, with a student body representing 88 nationalities, a network of 315 partner universities in 64 countries, and 58 dual-degree programs and structured partnerships. This year, approximately 2,300 students out of nearly 10,000 enrolled participated in outgoing and incoming mobility programs.  

Luiss remains in the Top 100 of the Financial Times Masters in Management 2022 ranking, climbing over twenty positions to reach 53rd place. The university, ranked 1st in Italy and 22nd globally for  Political and International Studies according to the QS by Subject 2022 ranking, has climbed over 200 positions in the last 5 years and is now among the top 100 worldwide for Social Sciences and Management. Law and Business and Management also made it into the Top 100 this year. In terms of sustainability, the university is also among the world’s Top 20 Green Universities, according to the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking. 

“Luiss’s steady rise in national and international rankings reflects the growth the university has achieved by solidifying its global role. Our University is at the forefront of creating strategic knowledge networks through higher education across the Europe-Mediterranean-Africa axis, thereby helping to strengthen the future leadership class in these countries. It is essential to keep investing in education to revive the social elevator, reduce gaps, and ensure equal opportunities for all,” said President Vincenzo Boccia. 

During the ceremony, Ornella Barra was awarded an honorary doctorate in Management for her extraordinary managerial talent, which combines expertise, entrepreneurship, an international vision, innovative leadership, and corporate social responsibility—values that also inspire Luiss Guido Carli.  

For this event, the University installed the E4Shield anti-COVID system in the Aula Magna. This system can inactivate the SARS-CoV-19 virus and its main variants by 90% in aerosols. It’s a CE- and SAR-certified technological solution from Elettronica, a company specializing in electronic defense systems.