Giovanna Iannantuoni is the first woman to lead the Italian university association

In the 60th year of its history, the Conference of Italian University Rectors chooses for the first time a woman as president.

November 22nd, Rome. The CRUI has elected as President Giovanna Iannantuoni, 53 years old, Rector of the University of Milan Bicocca.

In his inauguration speech, Iannantuoni underlined the need for a united and proactive CRUI that is immediately able to face the challenges of the imminent future and, at the same time, works to reposition the university at the center of the institutional and political debate in the medium term, as a key factor for Italy’s social, civil and economic development.

“More than half of our graduates come from families in which they are the first to get a degree – commented Iannantuoni, as soon as she was elected – The university therefore remains, quoting the words of President Mattarella, an unrepeatable opportunity in the medium term to improve the quality of life of Italians. A social elevator that keeps on working, but which we must make work better. Giving our students the opportunity to fully exercise their right to study and universities the resources to guarantee it. Resources that mean, first and foremost, housing and scholarships.”

In her keynote speech, Iannantuoni also touched on some of the urgent issues to ensure the full functioning and improvement of the university system. Topics ranging from the economic sustainability of universities (to guarantee the system’s future solidity in view of the reorganization of European public spending policies), to the focus on orientation and lifelong learning (especially in view of the demographic decline that awaits Italy in the next 25 years); from the importance of the efficient use of European funds (through a remodulation of the PNRR and the guarantee for universities of access to Repower EU funds), to the centrality of ‘innovative teaching’ (which is able to fully combine onsite with online); from internationalization (keystone to responding to demographic decline), to the delicate issues relating to medical and healthcare disciplines (from the flight of doctors and nurses from the public health system and professions, to the unresolved issue of specialization schools ).

“Our society is currently experiencing dire times – concluded Iannantuoni – in which social cohesion is put at risk by uncertainty, insecurity and the widening of income and gender inequalities. In this scenario, the university remains an asset to be protected and improved. A place where the citizens of tomorrow are trained and knowledge is built, both necessary conditions for guaranteeing civil coexistence and social progress."
Full professor of Political Economy, Giovanna Iannantuoni will be Rector of the University of Milan Bicocca until 2025. She was President of the Doctoral School of the same university from 2015 to 2019. She spent several years abroad in the economics departments of Rochester University, of the Carlos III de Madrid and of the University of Cambridge and has been coordinator of several national and international research projects. Her research interests focus on game theory, political economy decisions, microeconomics and voting theory.

In the previous presidency, Iannantuoni was the CRUI President's Delegate to the PNRR.

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