The Luiss community joins in mourning the passing of Professor Leonardo Morlino, Emeritus Professor of Political Science and former Deputy Rector for Research at the University.
A leading figure in Italian and international academia, after teaching for many years at the University of Florence, where he was also Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Deputy Rector for Research, Professor Morlino joined Luiss in 2010.
Here, he continued his research and teaching activities with passion, serving as Deputy Rector for Research for six years and contributing to the development of Luiss School of Government, where he introduced the first political risk studies. He also directed and chaired the University’s International Center on Democracy and Democratization (ICEDD), now the Research Center on Democracy.
His ideas have left a lasting mark thanks to his vast and influential academic output, translated into numerous languages and adopted in the most important academic contexts. Morlino was also an ambassador for Italian political science around the world, teaching and conducting research at prestigious universities and international institutes including Stanford, Sciences Po, New York University, Yale, Nuffield College in Oxford, Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales and Istituto Juan March in Madrid.
The value of his work has also been recognised with numerous awards and honours. These include the Dartmouth Medal – Honorable Mention for “The International Encyclopedia of Political Science” and three honorary doctorates from Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (Bolivia), Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (Peru) and the University of Bucharest (Romania).
He was a mentor and authoritative figure, both for his colleagues and for the generations of students that he taught with great dedication.
Luiss remembers him with affection, esteem and gratitude for his contribution to the growth of the University and its academic community.
We express our deepest condolences to his family and all those who were close to him.