Inauguration Ceremony of the 2020-2021 Academic Year

On Monday, November 9, Luiss Guido Carli University inaugurated the 2020-2021 Academic Year with a Lectio Magistralis from Ilham Kadri, CEO of Solvay and the participation of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

Present at the Ceremony were Luiss President Vincenzo Boccia, Vice President Paola Severino, Rector Andrea Prencipe and General Manager Giovanni Lo Storto.

"If we want to fully take advantage of this revolution, we must develop new ways of learning that make it possible for students to grow in distinct areas that are deeply interconnected because we believe that the strength of the humanities must further intertwine with scientific and economic fields," affirmed General Manager Giovanni Lo Storto.

"Universities are places that can create and guarantee new intersections that help us to evolve, leveraging freedom: fundamental to the resilience and longevity of institutions of higher education themselves," stated Luiss Rector Andrea Prencipe.

CEO of Solvay Ilham Kadri then delivered his Lectio Magistralis entitled A Learning Journey Through Inclusion and Diversity: a reflection on the new interpretation of sustainable development, in which companies will be responsible for supporting change.



Speaking next was Vice President of King’s College London Funmi Olonisakin, with a prolusion entitled Universities Must Dismantle Hierarchies of Identity to Transform 21st Century Society, touching on both inclusion and diversity.

Then it was Luiss President Vincenzo Boccia's turn to speak to Luiss students: "We must learn to explore and to go where knowledge and skills intersect with an open mind because we need to study, dig deeper, never take anything for granted, listen, reach out our hands and keep our word. The more vitally complex the world we live in proves to be, the more we need solid and visionary leaders."



The Ceremony closed with words from Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.