L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano I n the latest release of the 2024 QS World University Rank- ings by Subject, Italy achieved outstanding results: four Italian uni- versities emerged among the top ten in specific subject areas, a clear sign of the high caliber of specialized educa- tion offered, even though it must be mentioned that no Italian university made the top 100 in the overall global rankings. Still, Italy ranks just behind the Netherlands in Europe, which dominates with thirteen subjects in the global top ten for specific subjects. T h e U n i v e r s i t à L a Sapienza of Rome, Scuola Normale Superiore di P i s a , P o l i t e c n i c o d i Milano, and Università Bocconi in Milan are the f o u r i n s t i t u t i o n s t o h a v e reached a top-ten worldwide position in a specific subject, but each excelled in various disciplines, marking Italy as a hub of academic excellence in both the arts and sciences. Sapienza University has been recognized as the global leader in Classical Studies for four years running, and this year it also achieved a top-ten ranking in Archaeol- ogy. Scuola Normale Superi- ore in Pisa continues to be a f r o n t r u n n e r i n C l a s s i c a l S t u d i e s , s e c u r i n g a p l a c e within the top five. Politecni- co di Milano shows versatili- ty, placing seventh in both A r c h i t e c t u r e a n d A r t & D e s i g n a n d n i n t h i n t h e f i e l d s o f M e c h a n i c a l a n d Aeronautical Engineering. Bocconi, well-known for its business education, ranks prominently in Marketing and Business Management. Italy is also strongly rep- r e s e n t e d i n t h e a r t s a n d humanities, with 22 univer- sities ranked in the top 50 globally. Notable mentions include IUAV University of Venice and the Polytechnic University of Turin for Art History, and the University o f B o l o g n a f o r C l a s s i c a l Studies. Luiss University also stands out in Interna- tional Politics, ranking in the global top twenty. T h e Q S r a n k i n g s , p u b - l i s h e d b y U K - b a s e d Quacquarelli Symonds, differ from other academic e v a l u a t i o n s b y f o c u s i n g heavily on the perceptions of academic peers and employ- ers rather than purely on r e s e a r c h o u t p u t s . T h i s approach has faced scrutiny, yet it continues to be a sig- nificant criterion for stu- dents when selecting univer- sities. Let's take a closer look at the Italian magnifiche quat- tro of the QS rankings to find out more about their history and how they excel in the often harshly competitive world of international acade- mia. La Sapienza Universi- ty of Rome La Sapienza, founded in 1303 by Pope Boniface VIII, is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. Initially conceived as a Studium Urbis, it aimed to provide Rome with a self- sufficient center of learning. T h r o u g h o u t i t s h i s t o r y , Sapienza has been a bastion of Italian education and has s i g n i f i c a n t l y i n f l u e n c e d European intellectual life, with its alumni list being a roll call of notable figures, including leaders in science, politics, and the arts. Among them, are Giuseppe Conte, former Prime Minister of Italy, and Maria Montes- s o r i , who revolutionized early education. La Sapien- za's extensive offerings span across 11 faculties and over 6 5 d e p a r t m e n t s , h o u s i n g more than 140,000 students and 8,000 academic staff. Its facilities include 59 libraries a n d n u m e r o u s r e s e a r c h institutions, making it a hub of academic activity in Italy and beyond. Scuola Normale Supe- riore di Pisa Established in 1810 by a Napoleonic decree, the Scuo- l a N o r m a l e S u p e r i o r e d i Pisa is an élite higher educa- tion institution that stands out for its rigorous admis- sion tests and its close-knit a c a d e m i c e n v i r o n m e n t . Modeled after the École Nor- male Supérieure in Paris, its m i s s i o n i s t o c u l t i v a t e a select group of scholars who can contribute to both Italian and global academia. The university fostered numer- ous scholars, scientists, and l e a d e r s , i n c l u d i n g C a r l o Rubbia, Nobel Laureate in Physics, and several other influential Italian intellectu- als and politicians. The Scuola Normale has a particularly strong reputa- tion in the humanities and sciences and is noted for its small class sizes and person- a l i z e d e d u c a t i o n . I t a l s o engages heavily in research, maintaining high standards i n f i e l d s s u c h a s m o d e r n physics and political science. Politecnico di Milano The Politecnico di Milano was founded in 1863 and is Italy's oldest technical uni- versity. A leading institution in engineering, architecture, and industrial design, it is famous for being a hub of innovation and for its quite i m p r e s s i v e a l u m n i l i s t , including Nobel laureates and celebrated architects like Renzo Piano. The universi- t y p l a y s a p i v o t a l r o l e i n Italy's industrial and archi- tectural sectors, often pio- neering new technologies and approaches in various engineering fields. With over 42,000 students and a sig- nificant number of interna- tional enrollees, Politecnico e m p h a s i z e s a g l o b a l approach to education: its programs are consistently ranked among the best glob- a l l y f o r e n g i n e e r i n g a n d technology (as it happened this year!), which reflects the i n s t i t u t i o n ' s p r o f o u n d impact on global technology and design. Its commitment to sustainability and innova- tion is evident in its numer- ous research centers and lab- o r a t o r i e s , w h i c h w o r k o n cutting-edge projects rang- ing from sustainable urban development to aerospace engineering. Bocconi University E s t a b l i s h e d i n 1 9 0 2 i n Milan, the Università Boc- coni grew to become one of Europe's leading universities for economics, management, and finance. Its foundation marked the introduction of legal studies in economics in Italy, and since then, it has e x p a n d e d t o o f f e r a w i d e range of programs in social sciences, law, political sci- ence, and data science. B o c c o n i i s p a r t i c u l a r l y known for its strong ties to the business world, provid- ing its students with unpar- alleled exposure to the Euro- pean and global business community: it's not surpris- ing to learn that many of its alumni often hold high-rank- ing positions in finance, law, and politics, contributing significantly to its reputation as a cradle of professional success. In a moment when third- level education in Italy is often accused of failing to adequately prepare its stu- dents for today's globalized world, the 2024 QS World University Rankings demon- strate this is not the case, and that our brighter minds a r e , i n d e e d , s t i l l i n g o o d hands. I t a l i a n u n i v e r s i t i e s r a n k a g a i n among the best in the world LUCA SIGNORINI Bocconi University is among the best in the economics internationally (Photo: SFM Milan (Italy)/Alamy Stock Photo); bottom left, The Politecnico di Milano also made it into the QS World University Rankings (Photo: Simona Balconi/Dreamstime) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE

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