BOLZANO. A meeting between the top management of the company took place recently Free University of Bolzano (unibz) and of Sparkasse, the University’s primary partner, in order to take stock of the situation regarding the various multi-year collaborations in different fields, examining and evaluating existing collaborations and future opportunities. Present at the meeting were the CEO and General Manager of Sparkasse, Dr. Nicola Calabròthe Rector, prof. Paolo Lugliand the new Director of the master’s degree course in Accounting and Finance, prof.ssa Claudia Curi.
In fact, there are various forms of collaboration between the Bank and the University: Sparkasse has been the official partner of the Accounting and Finance degree course since its inception in 2018. Furthermore, the bank is co-financing two prizesThe “Research Award for Sustainability” and the “Innovation Award for Sustainability”. The credit institution collaborates intensely with the Competence Center for Economic, Environmental and Social Sustainability. Last but not least, Sparkasse is co-financier of the new chair for sustainability, environmental management and environmental economics. Finally, the bank also supports in a targeted manner conferences at unibzlike that of Robert F. EngleNobel Prize winner for Economics, protagonist of a much followed speech entitled “Climate Risk and Sustainability”.
It should not be forgotten that the bank, since 2017, provides the university with a conference room free of charge at the Sparkasse Academy with a capacity of around 150 people, used for lessons by the Faculty of Economics and by other Faculties. On the occasion of the meeting the new agreement between unibz and Sparkasse. Also in the academic year 2024-25 the bank will provide a scholarship to attend a one-year master’s degree at the prestigious New York University Stern School of Business, among the Top 15 in the world. In order to financially support deserving students of unibz, Sparkasse will make the master’s degree in Accounting and Finance a scholarship of ben 60,000 dollarsthe. This will allow them to pay their tuition fees at the New York University Stern School of Business and attend the second year of their degree in the American metropolis, to obtain the double qualification, valid both in Italy and in the USA. Since the launch of the degree course, Sparkasse has stood out for the support guaranteed to the most promising students. Since six students were the beneficiaries of the scholarships branded Sparkasse.
“We confirm our support for the Free University of Bolzano because we believe that academic education represents a creation of value with high strategic content. Investing in the preparation of young people enriches the territory and lays the foundations for the success of local companies. For Sparkasse, investing in young people is a key factor: as a leading bank, rooted in the territory, we want to be an attractive hub for young people”, declares the Administrator and General Manager of Sparkasse, Nicola Calabrò.
The professor Claudia Curi, Director of the master’s degree, underlines the value of this support for the local economy: “The opportunity offered by the generous sponsorship of the Cassa di Risparmio represents a competitive advantage for our territory. Thanks to this support, we are able to invest in the highest profile training for one of our students in the field of accounting and finance. This allows us to prepare a future leader, thus contributing significantly to the growth and development of our community. And equally significant is the fact that this collaboration contributes to making our degree course more attractive and competitive both nationally and internationally, allowing us to attract students to our territory with the aim of transforming “brain drain” into “brain gain”. », that is, taking advantage of the brain drain to bring them (more qualified) back home”.
“Through this partnership with Cassa di Risparmio di Bolzano, we aim to provide students with the opportunity to enrich their educational background with stimulating international experiences at universities of absolute excellence. In an increasingly global working context, the acquisition of intercultural skills is essential to excel and stand out”, comments Rector of the Free University of Bolzano, prof. Paolo Lugli.
