Herit4Future: A Bridge Between Italy and Latin America for Cultural Heritage and Transnational Education

On October 9, 2025,  a landmark event for international academic cooperation took place in Rome: the Coordination of Universities participating in the HerIT4Future project met with Ambassadors from Latin American countries. The initiative aims to promote constructive dialogue and foster academic interaction, creating long-lasting collaboration opportunities between the institutions involved

A Project with International Reach

HerIT4Future seeks to develop concrete synergies through the design and implementation of transnational and innovative educational programs. The main focus is on cultural heritage, its conservation, and enhancement, aiming to strengthen the link between research, education, and international development.

“The HerIT4Future project is part of the PNRR TNE initiative, with a strong focus on transnational education. It has seen, is seeing, and will see the mobility of students and faculty, as well as the joint planning of multiple degrees. It is designed to maximize and increasingly promote, in a continuous and productive way, relationships between Italian universities participating in the project and Latin American universities,” explained Professor Raffaella Campaner during the meeting.

“The meeting today is particularly significant because it allows us to interact with the diplomatic representatives of the countries we are working with. We are therefore moving not only within the scope of the project but also with a vision strongly oriented toward future activities and long-term institutional interaction.”

Three Concrete Actions

The project is structured around three main actions of scientific cooperation:

  1. Mobility of faculty and students: so far, 212 mobility opportunities have been planned to foster cultural and academic exchanges.

  2. Dual-degree programs: 13 dual-degree paths are planned between Italian and Latin American universities.

  3. Advanced courses: designed to deepen specific subjects where Italian universities have particular expertise; of the 13 courses planned, 9 have already been delivered, while the remaining courses will be launched in the coming months.

“In this meeting with the Ambassadors, the HerIT4Future project and what has already been achieved were presented. The project has three scientific cooperation actions: mobility of faculty and students, dual-degree programs, and advanced courses designed to deepen areas of expertise that Italian universities share with Latin American universities,”  explained Professor Straface from the University of Calabria..

“I believe this was an important opportunity because it allowed us to showcase the project and demonstrate that it is progressing well. This also certifies our strong belief in the project and its potential for future development.”

From Cultural Heritage to Training Future Generations

HerIT4Future is not limited to transmitting knowledge; it aims to build a solid network between Italian and Latin American universities, leveraging shared cultural heritage to develop scientific projects and joint solutions to global challenges.

“HerIT4Future, on one hand, raises awareness and enhances the shared cultural heritage, which has already been a constant working ground between Italian and Latin American universities. Starting from this shared heritage allows us to build scientific knowledge and projects to tackle global challenges and the challenges of the future together,” explained the spokesperson.

The project includes 9 work packages addressing diverse themes: sustainability, environment, landscape, food, cultural heritage, aerospace, the digital era, energy, and engineering, with a specific focus on educational innovation.
“We are not only interested in content but also in innovative tools to transmit and collaboratively develop, together with colleagues from Latin American institutions, new training tools for the Italian and Latin American citizens of the future,” added Professor Raffaella Campaner, Vice Rector for International Relations at the University of Bologna and coordinator of the project.

The next major international event will be in Buenos Aires on February 26-27, 2026, with participation from the rectors of the Italian universities and the 60 Latin American universities involved in the project.

HerIT4Future thus confirms itself as a tangible bridge between Italy and Latin America, capable of strengthening academic and cultural ties and preparing future generations for long-lasting and innovative international collaboration.