Bocconi University facts for kids

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Bocconi University
Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi
The Röntgen Building
Motto	Knowledge That Matters
Type	Private
Established	10 November 1902; 122 years ago (10 November 1902)
President	Andrea Sironi
Rector	Francesco Billari
Administrative staff	1,722 (as of 2022)
Students	15,107 (as of 2022)
Location	Milan , Italy 45°27′1″N 9°11′23″E / 45.45028°N 9.18972°E / 45.45028; 9.18972
Campus	Urban
Affiliations	AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA, CEMS, CFA, ASFOR, EAPAA

Bocconi University (also known as Università Bocconi) is a well-known private university located in Milan, Italy. It's a great place to learn about business, money, and how the world works.

The university teaches many subjects. These include economics, finance, law, and how to manage businesses. They also teach about politics, public service, and even computer science. Bocconi is a founding member of CEMS, a global group for management education. Its business school, SDA Bocconi, is highly respected. It has special accreditations from AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA. This means it meets high standards for teaching business.

History of Bocconi University

Luigi Bocconi

Bocconi University was started in 1902. It was founded by Ferdinando Bocconi. He named the university after his son, Luigi. Luigi died in a battle during the First Italo-Ethiopian War.

The university first worked with the Polytechnic University of Milan. It used a teaching style similar to a famous school in Antwerp, Belgium. This helped it become a modern and important university.

Exploring the Bocconi Campus

The unique Velodromo building

The Dubini Residence, a student dorm

The SDA Bocconi campus at dusk

The university campus is in Milan, near Parco Ravizza. It has several buildings close to famous landmarks. These include Porta Ticinese and the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio.

The Sarfatti Building is the oldest on campus. It was designed in 1936. It has classrooms, a large hall, a restaurant, and offices. Two lion statues guard its entrance. These lions are part of fun university myths.
The Pensionato building opened in 1956. It has grand halls, a canteen, and dorm rooms. It can house 350 students.
The SDA Bocconi building opened in 1985. It was expanded in 2001 to include the university bookstore. There's also a football pitch between this building and the Pensionato.
The Velodromo building opened in 2001. It looks like an oval velodrome (a track for cycling). It has four floors with many classrooms. This building uses a special system for air conditioning. It helps save energy.
Near Piazza Sraffa, you'll find the Library building. There's also a small chapel called "San Ferdinando." Other smaller buildings house language centers and student activity offices.
The Grafton Building opened in 2007. It's a very modern and award-winning building. It houses faculty offices and research centers. It also has a new large hall, seminar rooms, and parking. Its designers won a major architecture prize in 2020.

Many other offices are located around Parco Ravizza.

Where Students Live: Dorms

Bocconi University offers about 1800 places in its dorms. These are for students who come from outside Milan. Some of the dorms include Bocconi Residence, Javotte Residence, and Dubini Residence. There are also Spadolini, Arcobaleno, Isonzo, Bligny, and Castiglioni Residences.

What Can You Study at Bocconi?

Entrance to the Velodromo building

Bocconi University offers many exciting study programs.

Undergraduate Programs (Bachelor's Degrees)

Students can choose from several three-year courses in Economics. These courses cover finance, social sciences, or business management. One course is taught entirely in English. It's great for international students or those wanting to work globally.

There's also a course focused on the economics and management of arts, culture, and communication. Another program is in International Politics and Government. It's the first degree in political science offered by the university.

Bocconi also has a special Bachelor of Arts program with HEC Paris. It focuses on data science and social sciences. Students spend time in Italy and France. The university also offers a five-year law program. This combines a bachelor's and master's degree in law.

Some of Bocconi's finance programs are recognized by the CFA Institute. This means they cover much of what's needed for a top finance exam.

Graduate Programs (Master's Degrees)

The Bocconi Graduate School offers many master's programs. Most are taught in English. Some are also in Italian. These include:

International Management
Marketing Management
Finance
Economics and Management in Arts, Culture, Media, and Entertainment
Data Science and Business Analytics
Cyber Risk Strategy and Governance

Bocconi has partnerships with other top universities. For example, its Master of Science in Finance was one of the first to partner with the CFA Institute. Its management programs allow students to join the CEMS Master of International Management.

School of Law

The Bocconi University School of Law started in 2006. It offers a combined bachelor's and master's degree in Law. It also runs special schools for legal jobs.

PhD School

The PhD School offers four-year programs. These are for students who want to become experts in a field. They can study Economics, Business Administration, Statistics, Computer Science, or Public Policy. There's also a three-year PhD in Legal Studies.

SDA Bocconi School of Management

SDA Bocconi is the university's business school for advanced studies. It offers MBA programs, which are master's degrees in business administration. It also provides special training for professionals. The school is highly rated and accredited by AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA.

Research and Discoveries

Bocconi University is very active in research. In 2011, the European Research Council gave about €5 million to five projects led by Bocconi professors. These projects focused on social sciences and humanities.

Bocconi is also part of the Offshoring Research Network. This is a global group that studies how businesses move their operations to other countries.

University Departments

The university has several departments where professors teach and do research:

Accounting
Economics
Finance
Management and Technology
Marketing
Decision Sciences
Legal Studies
Policy Analysis and Public Management
Computing Sciences

Research Centers

Bocconi has many special research centers. They focus on different topics:

ASK studies the management of arts and culture.
PAOLO BAFFI CENTRE looks at international markets and money.
CAREFIN does research in applied finance.
CERGAS studies health and social care management.
CERMES focuses on marketing and competitive analysis.
CERTeT researches regional economics and tourism.
CReSV studies sustainability and value.
CRIOS looks at innovation and strategy.
DONDENA CENTRE researches social changes and public policy.
IEFE studies energy and environmental economics.
IGIER focuses on economics and economic policy.
ECONPUBBLICA researches the public sector and taxes.

Bocconi's Global Recognition

Bocconi University is known worldwide for its strong programs. It often ranks highly in global university lists. For example, in the QS World University Rankings, its Social Sciences and Management programs are often in the top 10 or 20 globally. Its Business & Management Studies programs are also consistently ranked very high. This shows that Bocconi is a leading university in these fields.

Student Life at Bocconi

Students at Bocconi have a lively campus experience.

Student Magazines

Students run several publications:

Tra i Leoni: A campus magazine.
Bocconi School of Law Student-Edited Papers: The law school's official student journal.
IS@B News: A magazine by the International Student Association.
Be OBjective Magazine: A digital magazine focusing on art, culture, media, and entertainment.

Fun University Superstitions

There are some fun myths at Bocconi! In the oldest building, there are central doors with two lion statues. A superstition says that students who walk between these lions might not graduate. The saying goes, "Chi passa tra i Leoni non si laurea alla Bocconi" (Whoever passes between the Lions does not graduate from Bocconi).

Another fun fact is about the three main buildings. If you look at them from above, they seem to spell "30L." This stands for "30 cum laude," which is the highest possible grade in an exam!

Famous People from Bocconi

Many successful people have studied or taught at Bocconi University.

Alumni (Former Students)

Luigi Einaudi: A former President of Italy.
Mario Monti: A former Prime Minister of Italy.
Emma Bonino: A former Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Vittorio Colao: A former CEO of Vodafone Group.
Luca de Meo: The CEO of Renault.
Nouriel Roubini: A famous economics professor.
Paolo Scaroni: The CEO of Eni and chairman of A.C. Milan (a famous football club).
Federico Marchetti: The founder of YOOX Group, a big online fashion retailer.
Francesco Milleri: The CEO of Luxottica, a major eyewear company.
Salvatore Aranzulla: A well-known blogger and entrepreneur.
Chiara Ferragni: A famous fashion blogger (she did not complete her degree).
Clarence Seedorf: A famous Dutch football player.

Other Notable People

Andrea Agnelli: A businessman and former chairman of Juventus F.C.
Pierre Casiraghi: A member of the Monaco royal family.
Prince Joachim of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este: A member of the Belgian royal family.

Alumnus of the Year Award

Since 2011, Bocconi gives an "Alumnus of the Year" award. It honors a former student who shows great professionalism, leadership, honesty, and responsibility. Past winners include important figures like Emma Bonino and Vittorio Colao.