Merit and legality are the drivers for the restart

Supporting merit through scholarships scholarships for young people from critical areas across the country, enabling them to look to their future with confidence. There are also virtual meetings among over 140 university and high school students from across Italy to promote a culture of legality. These are the key features of the fourth edition of “Legality and Merit in Schools,” a project promoted by Luiss Guido Carli to raise awareness among the next generation about the value of respecting the rules and fighting corruption, while continuing to invest in education and human capital.

The new edition was unveiled on Thursday, February 18, during a digital event. It was opened on an exceptional basis by the new Minister of Education, Prof. Patrizio Bianchi, who stated: “ Schools are and must be bastions of legality; they represent the State on the ground; they are our flags in the community.” The Minister of Education then said: “The State has a presence and an educational role, and teaching about legality is a fundamental element in establishing, recognizing, and deepening the concept of legality. Legality means viewing the state as your own, and that's what we need to be educated about; that's what we need to create projects for.” “I believe,” the Minister explained, “and this project has demonstrated it, that we need to talk to schools. We need to educate from an early age, not to be suspicious, but to be guardians of the law and our Constitution.”

The Project was conceived and developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice, the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM), the National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC), and the National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate (DNA), with support from Main Partner Inwit.  Speakers at the presentation included Prof. Paola Severino, Vice President of Luiss and the initiative’s creator; the University’s Director General, Giovanni Lo Storto; the National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor, Federico Cafiero De Raho; the President of ANAC, Giuseppe Busia; and Michelangelo Suigo, EVP-Director of External Relations and Communication at Inwit.

“The Legality and Merit Project is an initiative where Luiss is at the forefront. Respect for the rules and a focus on fighting corruption are core values we want to instill in students from the very beginning,” said Paola Severino, Vice President of the University. She continued,“This project aims to encourage less fortunate young people to take action and think confidently about their future.  No goal is impossible to achieve, but the path to realizing projects, dreams, and aspirations is challenging and demands daily study, commitment, and hard work.”

“We are proud to be able to make a tangible contribution to Luiss's Legality and Merit project,” said Giovanni Ferigo, Inwit's CEO. “With this next step, we are once again at the forefront, strengthening the partnership between our company and one of Italy's most important universities. The values of legality and merit have always been essential and fundamental elements of our business model. This focus and awareness have also been recognized by the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), which recently awarded us a legality rating.”

The floor then passed to representatives from key institutions—National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Federico Cafiero De Raho and ANAC President Giuseppe Busia—who, during the presentation, underscored the vital role universities play in conveying a message of legality to students. This empowers them to become informed citizens, capable of contributing to the well-being of the entire country.

In addition to the involvement of students and teachers from 22 upper secondary schools (classical, scientific, and artistic high schools, as well as vocational, economic, and technical institutes) selected by the Ministry of Education and located throughout the country, three juvenile detention centers (in Milan, Florence, and Catania) will also participate in the project, continuing the tradition of previous editions.

Participation is open to all Luiss students from the four departments (Law, Political Science, Business and Management, and Economics and Finance), who have once again shown great interest in the initiative this year. A team of 140 Luiss Ambassadors—previously trained on the main topics to be addressed during the program—will host a series of specialized workshops. These aim to instill in the very young students of the selected schools a culture of legality in all its forms: from active citizenship to immigration, and from combating corruption to fighting organized crime.

The “Legality and Merit in Schools” project will have an exceptional partner: Inwit, Italy’s leading towers company, which will provide two scholarships for enrollment in and attendance at a three-year combined bachelor’s and master’s program at Luiss.

In addition to this new initiative aimed at the most deserving students, there are also 23 scholarships already planned—two for the winning school and one for each of the others—to enable an equal number of young people to attend the next Summer School organized by the University.