Stato-nazione e mobilità degli studenti universitari dall'Unità alla Repubblica: la situazione degli studi / National state and international mobility of Italian university students from the Unification to the Republic: a reflection on the "state-of-the-art"

The essay deals with the development of international mobility programs for Italian university students in post-unification Italy. Considering the most important studies addressing the topic, the author highlights the attempts of the Italian government to promote state-controlled programs of international experience for the most talented students, both in the liberal and in the fascist era, in order to avoid the "peripherization" of the country in the academic world. However, he recognizes their failure in the competition with the emerging American foundations' international fellowships, which would become the model for post-WWII "denationalization" of university training.