The Master in Public Management and Policy and the ICPP in Rome: public governance, diplomacy, and parliamentary institutions

A delegation from the Master in Public Management and Policy (PMP) and the Institute of Public Communication and Policy (ICPP) at USI, led by Professor Jean-Patrick Villeneuve, recently took part in a study visit to Rome dedicated to public governance, diplomacy, and institutional processes.

The initiative is part of the Master's curriculum and builds upon dialogues initiated in recent months with Swiss federal institutions in Bern. It offered students the opportunity to engage directly with political, parliamentary, and diplomatic representatives from both Italy and Switzerland.

During the visit, Dr Alberto Bitonti, a lecturer at USI's Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, delivered a keynote speech at the Senate of the Italian Republic. The address was given as part of the conference "Hearings, Interests, and Representation in the Parliamentary Arena," organised by the Italian Political Science Association (SISP). Attendees included Senator Daisy Pirovano, Senator Dario Parrini, and Professor Franca Roncarolo, President of SISP.

The first-year PMP Master's class also met with Senator Enrico Borghi, a member of the Senate's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee and COPASIR, to discuss key contemporary geopolitical challenges and bilateral relations between Italy and Switzerland.

In the afternoon, the students visited the Palace of the Parliamentary Groups at the Chamber of Deputies, where they were received by MP Chiara Gribaudo, a member of the Public and Private Work Committee and the Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into Working Conditions in Italy. The meeting explored the inner workings of the legislative process and the dynamics of public policymaking, tracking the journey from technical and administrative drafting to political mediation.

The visit continued at Palazzo Montecitorio with the exhibition "1946: The Republic is Born. The Constituent Assembly at Montecitorio," hosted in the historic Sala della Lupa to mark the 80th anniversary of the Italian Constituent Assembly.

The following day, the delegation was welcomed to the Swiss Embassy in Italy, located at Villa Monticello in Rome's Parioli district. Deputy Head of Mission Anna Mattei Russo presented the role of the Swiss diplomatic representation and the core concept of a diplomatic "mission". She provided students with a comprehensive overview of diplomatic and consular activities, as well as cooperative relations between Switzerland and Italy.

Particular focus was placed on the project "In Cammino con la Svizzera", through which the Swiss Ambassador to Italy, Roberto Balzaretti, is visiting every Italian region between 2025 and 2027 to meet with institutional, economic, and academic bodies working to strengthen bilateral ties.

The visit concluded with an informal networking session with Embassy staff and interns, giving students a firsthand look at professional career opportunities within the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Swiss diplomacy.