“Development cooperation should be seen as one of the professions of the future, especially in light of the Mattei Plan. To provide added value to this key instrument of Italian foreign policy, we need professionals who are in tune with the times. That’s why we have reached out to universities to foster a more open Agency and to work together on pathways and opportunities for young people, who are the future agents of cooperation,” said Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), at the opening of the event “Trends and Opportunities in International Cooperation,” held at the agency’s headquarters in Rome as part of the 15th edition of the Diplomacy Festival, running until October 25.
The meeting saw the participation of over 60 guests, including students and faculty from 18 Italian universities offering courses and specializations in international cooperation. During the event, AICS presented its structure, cooperating entities, thematic areas, countries of intervention, project portfolio, and foreign offices, explaining their operations and relationships with embassies and consulates. Following the presentations, students engaged directly with sector heads and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Roberto Colaminè, Deputy Director-General for Development Cooperation (DGCS).
Director Rusconi highlighted, “Italian Cooperation increasingly aims to transfer knowledge, skills, and expertise. In this, universities are crucial partners, training tomorrow’s professionals who will work within the Agency, civil society organizations, international bodies, and even in local authorities and the private sector, as it embraces the mission of development cooperation.”
