DURING ANDREA SIRONI'S FOUR YEAR TERM AS RECTOR, BOCCONI UNIVERSITY HAS CROSSED ITS TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC BORDERS, LAUNCHING PROGRAMS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND DATA SCIENCE; ITS GEOGRAPHICAL BORDERS, THROUGH COLLABORATIONS WITH PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD; AND ITS SOCIAL BORDERS, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON SOCIAL MOBILITY PROGRAMS

Four years redrawing Bocconi University’s academic, geographical and social borders. This is how Andrea Sironi’s actions at the helm of the university from 2012 to 2016 can be summarized. He outlined the results of these four years during the Opening Ceremony of the 2016-2017 Academic Year in Milan.

With the opening of a campus in Mumbai (MISB in 2012), the launch of new international programs that allow students to attend study periods in cities other than Milan (Los Angeles and Hong Kong for the World Bachelor in Business, starting in 2013; Paris, Mumbai and Singapore for the Double Degree in Management with ESSEC starting in 2015); the launch of a program in political science (the Bachelor in International Politics and Governance, starting in 2015) and programs featuring the interweaving of subject areas such as economics, law, IT and big data (the Bachelor in Economics, Management and Computer Science, starting this year, the Master of Laws in Law of Internet Technologies, starting next year), Bocconi has sought new frontiers both in terms of geography and academic disciplines. 

Between 2012 and 2016, exchange agreements with universities from other countries increased from 202 to 259, mostly due to an expansion of agreements with North American economics departments. In addition, Double Degree agreements increased from 17 to 26. Bocconi students can now obtain degrees recognized in Europe and the US, as well as places as far off as Australia, Brazil, India and China.
 
As a result of these efforts, each year more than 4,000 Bocconi students benefit from a significant study or work experience abroad.
 
During the same period, the number of non-Italian tenured faculty has increased by 56%, along with faculty members with an international PhD (a 31% increase). Admissions applications from international students increased by 59%, nearing 2,000 in 2016, with France, Germany and China the most represented nationalities among students.

The social profile of students has also changed thanks to the many projects supporting the advancement of social mobility. Investments in student scholarships have grown from €24mn euros in 2012 to the current €27mn, with an objective of reaching €30mn by 2020.
 
“During these four years, our intensive efforts have been aimed at making Bocconi a great university, open to students and faculty from all over the world, capable of guaranteeing students and graduates opportunities for studying and working in other countries, with an educational offer that is predominately international,” said Sironi during the ceremony. “Another priority has been to support access for the most deserving students regardless of their financial conditions.”