Paolo Boccardelli to Il Sole 24 Ore: “Luiss is a driving force for society and the economy”

In an interview with Il Sole 24 Ore, the Rector of Luiss, Paolo Boccardelli, discusses the evolution of the university’s educational offering:

“Having created a Department of AI, Data and Decision Sciences and restructured all our departments, we can now offer a wealth of expertise that fosters critical thinking in our students, providing them with all the tools they need to understand complex issues: from geopolitics to artificial intelligence, from the transformation of energy to that of industry, and from the challenge of institutional structures to the new Europe.”

New developments include 70 training certificates created in collaboration with companies and institutions, and the honours programme for bachelor’s degrees. The use of artificial intelligence in teaching is also central:

“Luiss is one of Google for Education’s two strategic partners in Europe for innovation in pedagogy using artificial intelligence. Because AI, when used poorly, poses a significant risk.

For each course, our students have access to an AI-powered teaching assistant that, within a protected environment, is fed exclusively with the lecturer's content.”

Among the priorities for the third year of the term of office is research, which has seen a significant increase in funding and a growing ability to attract students and researchers internationally.

In the field of AI & Robotics, the goal is “to make Luiss a benchmark for the manufacturing sector, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises, in the responsible and competitive adoption of artificial intelligence and robotics”.

At the end of the interview, the Rector reiterates Luiss’s mission and the role the University is called upon to play in society.

“However, there’s a principle I consider even more important: Luiss isn’t just a place to get a degree. It’s an institutional project that aims to boost the competitiveness of Italy and Europe by educating people, developing knowledge, and putting research at the service of society. This is the spirit we expect from our faculty: to be scholars of excellence, free to explore all fields of knowledge, but also key players in a university capable of making an impact and contributing to the common good.”