The Italian Consulate in Karachi has long been a driving force behind the growing academic cooperation between Italy and Pakistan. This partnership is evident in the increasing number of Pakistani students choosing Italy for higher education and the successful joint research projects benefiting both nations. The focus is on investing in younger generations by offering broader opportunities, fostering scientific and technical knowledge, and encouraging cultural exchanges. Professor Roberto Tottoli, Chancellor of the University of Naples L’Orientale, recently visited Karachi at the invitation of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA).
His visit underscores the Italian Consulate’s commitment to strengthening academic exchanges and fostering deeper collaboration between the two countries.
The University of Naples L’Orientale has already established a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Karachi, signed in 2022, and is now looking to build a long-term partnership with IBA. Prof. Tottoli is a distinguished scholar with expertise in Arabist studies, Islamic history, and Arabic Qur’anic manuscript traditions.
The University of Naples L’Orientale also boasts a Department of Urdu Language and Culture, further aligning with the goals of cross-cultural academic collaboration. During his visit, Chancellor Tottoli, accompanied by the Consul General of Italy in Karachi, Danilo Giurdanella, met with the Vice Chancellors of IBA and the University of Karachi. Their discussions focused on exploring new avenues for cooperation, with a particular emphasis on promoting language exchange programs and academic collaborations.
The interest in pursuing higher education in Italy is steadily rising among students from Sindh and Balochistan, with over 600 students from these regions having enrolled in graduate, postgraduate, and doctorate programs in Italy over the past year.
The Universitaly portal has made it easier for students to access top Italian universities by providing step-by-step guidance. Italy’s higher education system includes around 144 institutions, most of which are public universities known for their excellence in research and education. Notably, four of the world’s oldest universities—University of Bologna (1088), University of Padua (1222), “Federico II” University of Naples (1224), and University of Siena (1240)—are Italian.
