Milanese Renaissance

It is surprising to see how often we fail to consider education and research as indispensable resources. They are the raw materials with which to build the wealth of our society, and we must always remember that it is to innovation, knowledge and creativity that society owes its renaissance. If this failing appears ever more clearly at the national level, it fortunately does not hold true for individual cities.

Milan has taken a different direction, allying itself with its universities, research centers, businesses and civil society. Milan has been engaged for years in attracting and cultivating talented resources. And yet it is wrong to assume that it is economic growth that enhances the attractiveness of Milan. In fact, studies like that of Guido Tabellini, Creativity over Time and Space, show that the transformation into a center of creative talent precedes economic growth. In addition, the presence of autonomous and democratic political institutions that protect citizens' economic rights is a determining factor. Another constant element is the simultaneous existence of multiple clusters of creative and innovative people. So it is unsurprising to see that Milan is a center of excellence in several areas not directly connected to one another, such as life science, stem, economics and of course fashion and design.

Bocconi benefits from, and at the same time contributes to this Milanese renaissance that is headed in an ever more cosmopolitan direction. Our University has long focused on the internationalization of the student body and the faculty, successfully attracting top quality talent in satisfying numbers. Furthermore, for the last two years Bocconi has been engaged in a phase of profound innovation of programs, methodologies and structures, implementing the digital transformation that affects knowledge production and all economic sectors at a global level. We are committed to forging new alliances and strengthening our areas of expertise in frontier disciplines such as machine learning and data science, but also in theoretical mathematics, increasingly the language behind the disciplines that design our future.

Innovation and entrepreneurial spirit are the essential characteristics to focus on today, and for this reason Bocconi is investing heavily in them. And so is Milan.

Gianmario Verona, Rector