"We got into an Air Force C130, we met the general of the Italian division, Salvatore Farina, and we learned about the purpose of the Italian presence in the KFOR mission in Kosovo.” This is what 10 students in master’s programs at the LUISS School of Government were able to do in a lesson in the field in Pristina, at the NATO Kosovo Force Command with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of these 10 students, Licia Gallo, did her LUISS bachelor’s degree thesis on Kosovo, written with the supervision of her professor of International Law, Elena Sciso. Afterwards, Licia decided to do a master’s degree in International Relations and immediately after that decided to enroll in the master’s program in Parliament and Public Policies at the School of Government.
"Dr. Lorenzo Valeri, Scientific Manager at the LUISS SoG, offered master’s students the opportunity to spend a day at the base of the NATO command in Kosovo accompanied by the General Manager of LUISS, Giovanni Lo Storto: a truly unique experience." Given the high demand, the students were selected by a draw.
Licia tells us how she felt, getting on an Air Force plane, participating in a round tablediscussion organized especially for them, and meeting Admiral Donato Marzano, Head of the General Office for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Deputy Special Representative for the European Union in Kosovo, Thomas Gnocchi: "We were very well-received; we had some expectations but the reality was even better than what we had imagined!".
The ten students visited the operational command center for the mission and were able to gather evidence on the activities that Italians are currently carrying out in Kosovo: "At the beginning we were a bit intimidated, but they were all very helpful. The thing that struck me the most was the high level of professionalism.”
Licia stated that she would like to know more about the issue from a technical point of view: "Having studied International Relations, I need to combine an academic approach with an operational one."
Sharing that opinion is Flavia Margheriti, a master’s student in European Studies: "The visit to the field at the Film City base, the formal meeting on the situation in Kosovo and the opportunity to observe some of the strategic work of the military in Kosovo have helped give shape and form to previously theoretical ideas, providing us with a clear vision of how the armed forces operate and coordinate with each other at the international level."
The visit to Kosovo is just the first phase of the new collaboration between LUISS and the armed forces, which will see the involvement of other students in similar activities.