As part of her visit to the Italian Republic, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska met with Italy’s Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini. During the meeting, a Memorandum was signed to mark the accession of an Italian university to the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies.
The First Lady expressed gratitude for Italy’s support of Ukrainian education and people amid the ongoing fight against Russian aggression. Currently, 1,048 Ukrainians are studying at Italian universities.
“We are sincerely grateful for the measures Italy has introduced to support members of the Ukrainian student and academic communities who have been granted temporary protection in the country,” said Olena Zelenska.
During the meeting, the memorandum was signed through which the University of L’Aquila officially joined the Coalition for Ukrainian Studies. The signing was attended by Minister Anna Maria Bernini and the Rector of the University, Edoardo Alesse. Also present at the event were Antonio Zoccoli, President of the Council of the Presidents of Public Research Institutions (CoPER); Antonella Polimeni, Vice President of the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI); and Giovanna Cassese, President of the National Council for Higher Artistic and Musical Education (CNAM).
The First Lady thanked the University for its willingness to share the truth with students and acknowledged other Italian higher education institutions that have already joined the project.
“We also deeply value the Italian Association for Ukrainian Studies, which makes a major contribution to the promotion of Ukrainian literature and language. I am confident that joining the Coalition for Ukrainian Studies will enrich academic life and enhance the reputation of Italian universities as leading centers of scientific research in Europe. After all, engaging with Ukrainian studies today means gaining deeper insight into the present, history, and geopolitics,” noted Olena Zelenska.
The Coalition of Ukrainian Studies is a Ukrainian-led initiative aimed at advancing Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar studies globally, countering disinformation and distortions in academic settings, and fostering partnerships between Ukrainian and international universities.
Over the past three months alone, 13 higher education institutions from Finland, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Austria, Canada, Estonia, and the Republic of Korea have joined the Coalition. In total, more than 70 universities worldwide have expressed interest in becoming part of the initiative.