Kent State continues to build on its tradition of hosting partner universities at its Florence campus through the Florence Alliance, a vision created to unite global faculty and students for cross-cultural education.

Kent State offers a fully functioning university in Florence without relying on any third-party organization. Vice President for Global Education Marcello Fantoni and Director of the Kent State Florence Center Fabrizio Ricciardelli hope for the continuous growth of the program by extending it to outside universities. 

“I don’t think we are the biggest; I think we are the third largest (program in Florence),” Fantoni said. “We don’t want to be the biggest; we want to be the best.” 

Kent State is among the top study abroad programs offered in Florence. The Alliance offers an opportunity for higher education for other university students. 

“Every university that joins the Alliance is also basically joining a project of the city of Florence,” Fantoni said. 

The Alliance creates an opportunity for diverse learning experiences directly in Florence. Students have the opportunity to experience the city and what it has to offer while learning from professors of different backgrounds. 

This development is nothing new. The Alliance currently holds relationships with five other universities: Dankook University in Seoul, Brazil’s Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Curitiba, Hashemite University in Amman, Jordan, Webster University in St. Louis and Effat University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 

“This is what we do; in other words, we work together,” Ricciardelli said. “In the last four, five, six years, we have built the idea of openness and otherness — the idea of a sort of creation of a cultural hub in which students have the priority.” 

As students from the Alliance programs arrive in Florence, they are offered an education from an American institution, becoming exposed to a new environment. Ricciardelli also said the students are provided housing and are assisted by the university throughout the entire process. 

The Alliance is not finished growing, either. Fantoni and Ricciardelli have plans to continue to build new relationships with other universities. 

“Kent State has many partnerships with other institutions, and should they want to join us, they can” Ricciardelli said. 

Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná has been collaborating with Kent for several years and now encourages its students to experience the culture in Florence. 

“We have many partners across the globe, but what we really want is to find two or three partners with which you can do really creative things that really change the history of your university,” Marcelo Mira, director of international affairs, said. 

Mira believes the partnership they have with Kent State encourages creativity and innovation. 

“I was in a meeting with Marcello; coincidentally, we have the same name,” Mira said. “At some point I said, ‘We have this dream of connecting with a few universities to let our creativity free and do stuff nobody else is doing,’ and he said, ‘Oh wow, this is perfect because we want to do the same.’” 

PUCPR and Kent State work together to strategically develop advancements for students and the universities involved. 

Coordinator for International Education Adriana Mattei praised the Florence Alliance for its success as a partnership. 

“Together, they form a powerhouse of talent, managing academic programs with strategic vision and crafting immersive educational experiences that leave a lasting impact,” Mattei said. 

Kent has not limited itself to the five institutions involved either. It continues to grow with the advancements of the Florence program. 

“It continues to grow,” Fantoni said. “We explain what we do in Florence to other universities, and they ask to join. I’m even wondering if at some point we should stop.” 

Since Kent is a top program in Florence, and people such as Ricciardelli and Fantoni reach out to other institutions, the institutions show great interest in their project. However, Fantoni believes the number of universities involved is not the main goal; it is the value they receive from the alliance. 

“We don’t want to make it into a messy family with too many members that it’s hard to control,” Fantoni said. “It’s not the number of universities involved that proves the success of the Alliance, it’s the depth of the collaboration that you developed.”

As new programs join the Alliance, the idea is to develop an immersive experience for students, to become acquainted with different cultures and educate the students in different ways. As the university continues its growth, it wants to ensure the success of students remains top priority. 

As director of the Kent Florence Center, Ricciardelli sees a future for students with the Alliance that offers them new opportunities. 

“You get out of your comfort zone, first of all,” Ricciardelli said. “Second, you are in a different place with different exposure and you understand life can be spent outside of the place in which you were born, creating a second or third home.”

The Alliance builds global growth, and Fantoni hopes to continue the growth for student education. The goal behind their vision is not about the number of universities involved but rather the curriculum provided to students enrolled. 

“We are very picky,” Fantoni said. “We don’t want everybody. We want good universities that we share a vision with.” 

The commitment to collaboration between universities allows expansion and development of diverse education. 

“What began as a small initiative has grown into a model of excellence in international academic cooperation, seamlessly blending teaching and innovation,” Mattei said. 

Olivia Scott is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].