On 19 May 2026, the results of EFC – Educating Future Citizens were presented in Pavia. EFC is a national network that brought together eight Italian Schools of Advanced Studies in a wide-ranging programme of higher education, guidance, and internationalisation dedicated to younger generations.
Coordinated by the IUSS School for Advanced Studies Pavia as lead partner, the network included SISSA – International School for Advanced Studies (Trieste), the Ferdinando Rossi School of Advanced Studies (Turin), the Giacomo Leopardi School of Advanced Studies (Macerata), the Toppo Wassermann School of Advanced Studies (Udine), the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, the Carlo Urbani School of Advanced Studies (Camerino), and the Ca’ Foscari International College (Venice).
Over the 2024–2026 period, the project transformed nearly €13 million in PNRR funding into a shared platform for advanced education and academic cooperation, supporting more than 60 interdisciplinary initiatives focused on key contemporary challenges, including innovation, sustainability, artificial intelligence, global citizenship, and digital transformation. The activities engaged more than 3,000 students and doctoral candidates, generated over 100 international mobility experiences, and fostered 24 partnerships involving Italian institutions, public and private organisations, and international universities.
The morning session was devoted to the project’s final plenary meeting. Following participants’ arrival and welcome, representatives of the partner institutions presented the activities developed over the two-year programme, highlighting educational initiatives, interdisciplinary learning opportunities, outreach actions, and international mobility schemes implemented within their respective institutions. Contributions were delivered by Andrea Tiengo (IUSS Pavia), Marco Li Calzi (Ca’ Foscari International College, Venice), Loredana Cappellacci (Carlo Urbani School of Advanced Studies, Camerino), Alessandro Peressotti (Toppo Wassermann School of Advanced Studies, Udine), Carla Danani (Giacomo Leopardi School of Advanced Studies, Macerata), Andrea Gambassi (SISSA, Trieste), Vincenzo Crupi (Ferdinando Rossi School of Advanced Studies, Turin), and Ennio Bilancini (IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca). The session concluded with a Q&A segment and separate meetings involving the network’s scientific and administrative coordinators.
In the afternoon, the conference “Networks of Italian Schools of Advanced Studies and Their Value for the National Higher Education System” provided an opportunity to reflect on the contribution of Schools of Advanced Studies to the development of higher education and research in Italy. Following the institutional greetings, the scientific coordinators of the three PNRR-funded networks presented their achievements: Franco Raimondi (Gran Sasso Science Institute) for SAFI3 – Synergies for Promoting Innovative, Interdisciplinary and International Higher Education, Sara Barsanti (Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies) for MERITA – The Network for Talent, and Andrea Tiengo (IUSS Pavia) for EFC – Educating Future Citizens. The programme also featured a presentation of RIASISSU – the Italian Network of Students and Alumni of Schools and Institutes of Advanced Studies, delivered by Cesare Masseroli.
The event concluded with a round-table discussion on the future of inter-institutional networks among Italian Schools of Advanced Studies and their strategic role in strengthening the national higher education system. Participants included Massimo Miscusi (General Director for Medical Specialty Training Programmes, PhD Programmes and Other Postgraduate Education Opportunities, Italian Ministry of University and Research), Edoardo Bressanelli (Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies), Franco Raimondi (Gran Sasso Science Institute), and Mario Martina (IUSS Pavia).
Throughout the discussions, speakers repeatedly highlighted the value of collaboration among institutions of excellence as a stable and replicable model for promoting educational innovation, internationalisation, and the development of advanced skills. In this perspective, the legacy of EFC is expected to extend well beyond the project’s formal conclusion, strengthening the network of Schools of Advanced Studies and preserving the knowledge, partnerships, and opportunities created through this shared experience.