As part of her visit to the Italian Republic, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska met with Italy’s Minister of Universities and Research, Anna Maria Bernini. During the meeting, a memorandum was signed confirming the University of L’Aquila’s accession to the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies. The First Lady expressed gratitude for Italy’s support of Ukrainian education and people amid the fight against Russian aggression. Currently, 1,048 Ukrainians are studying at Italian universities.
“We are sincerely grateful for the measures introduced by Italy to support Ukrainian students and scholars who have been granted temporary protection in the country,” said Olena Zelenska.
The signing ceremony was attended by Anna Maria Bernini and the university’s rector, Edoardo Alesse. Also present were Antonio Zoccoli, President of the Council of Presidents of Public Research Institutions (COPER); Antonella Polimeni, Vice President of the Conference of Rectors of Italian Universities (CRUI); and Giovanna Cassese, President of the National Council for Higher Artistic and Musical Education (CNAM). The First Lady thanked the university for its commitment to sharing the truth with students and acknowledged other Italian institutions that have already joined the initiative.
“We greatly value the Italian Association of Ukrainian Studies, which plays a key role in promoting Ukrainian literature and language. I am confident that joining the Coalition will enrich academic life and enhance the reputation of Italian universities as leading centers of knowledge in Europe. Studying Ukraine today means gaining deeper insight into the present, history, and geopolitics,” Zelenska noted.
The Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies is a Ukrainian initiative aimed at advancing Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar studies worldwide, combating misinformation in academia, and fostering partnerships between Ukrainian and foreign universities. Over the past three months alone, 13 universities from Finland, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Austria, Canada, Estonia, and South Korea have joined. In total, more than 70 universities around the world have expressed interest in joining the initiative.
