How are these Italian universities regarded by the rest of the world? Looking at global college rankings, we find fewer in the top 100 than Japanese universities. Most are ranked somewhere in the 100th to 300th zone.
Meanwhile, Japan’s University of Tokyo and Kyoto University rank in the top 50 year after year, while others like Osaka University and Tohoku University also place strongly. The Japanese universities certainly excel in research metrics, like the number of research papers and Nobel Prize winners.
But Italian universities have their own strengths—most notably their history and cultural background. The University of Bologna draws in students from all over Europe, still preserving its tradition of spreading knowledge as a treasure for all humanity to share. The Polytechnic University of Milan is another globally-regarded school in the areas of engineering, architecture, and design; while Milan’s Vita-Salute San Raffaele University is internationally renowned for its medical and life sciences programs. Italian universities are also heavy hitters in the arts and humanities fields, serving as international research centers in disciplines like archeology, philosophy, and art history.
Milan’s Università Bocconi has also begun garnering attention in recent years. A private university founded in 1902, it specializes in social science fields like economics, management, finance, and law—with its MBA and management programs consistently ranking among the best in the world. Many of the classes are conducted in English, and the fact that over a third of the students are from abroad creates a strong international atmosphere. The campus has a modern design crafted by a renowned architectural firm, and stands in stark contrast to the antique stone construction of many of its peers. Many of its alumni have become titans of politics and business, positioning Università Bocconi as more of a modern elite vocational school than a traditional Italian university.
Worth of mention also is the Quarto d'ora accademico, or “academic quarter-hour”, a uniquely Italian tradition. This is an unspoken rule that lectures will begin 15 minutes after the scheduled time. The practice is said to date back to the Middle Ages, when it was common for instructor nobles to make students wait 15 minutes for them to arrive. Today, both the students and professors carry on the tradition half-jokingly, with the attitude that it’s no big deal for either to be 15 minutes or so late to class. This kind of leniency is pretty shocking to cultures like Japan, where class starts exactly on time when the chime sounds—while at the same time sounding like the most Italian thing in the world, right?
Another interesting thing is the difference between Japanese and Italian “college towns”. While Japanese campuses tend to be built in the suburbs, set apart from the city, many Italian city centers are dotted with university buildings, creating a vibrant atmosphere teeming with college life. You can see them writing their reports in cafés or engaging in discussions in the cobblestone plazas—creating a thoroughly European atmosphere.
Italian universities are centers of learning that blend tradition and innovation, rigid discipline and a laidback style—right down to the humorous “academic quarter-hour”.
