Luiss remembers Professor Leonardo Morlino

The Luiss Community joins in offering its condolences on the passing of Professor Leonardo Morlino, Emeritus Professor of Political Science and former Vice-Rector for Research at the University.

A prominent figure in the Italian and international academic landscape, Professor Morlino joined Luiss in 2010 after a long teaching career at the University of Florence, where he also served as Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Vice-Rector for Research.

Here, he passionately pursued his research and teaching, serving for six years as Vice-Rector for Research and contributing to the development of the Luiss School of Government, where he introduced the first political risk studies. He also directed and chaired the International Center on Democracy and Democratization (ICEDD), now the Research Center on Democracy Luiss.

His ideas have left a lasting mark through his extensive and influential scientific work, which has been translated into numerous languages and adopted in leading academic circles. Morlino also served as an ambassador for Italian political science around the world, teaching and conducting research at prestigious universities and international institutions, including Stanford, Sciences Po, New York University, Yale, Nuffield College at Oxford, the Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales, and the Juan March Institute in Madrid.

The value of his contribution has also been recognized through numerous awards and honors. These include the Dartmouth Medal – Honorable Mention for "The International Encyclopedia of Political Science," and three honorary doctorates from the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (Bolivia), the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (Peru), and the University of Bucharest (Romania).

He was a mentor and an authoritative figure, both for his colleagues and for the generations of students he trained with great dedication. Luiss remembers him with affection, esteem, and gratitude for his contribution to the growth of the university and its scholarly community.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family and to all those who were close to him.