It’s back-to-school time in Florence, and like every semester, between 3,000 and 5,000 American college students will flood the city, coming to study abroad here. Shedding light on this phenomenon are representatives of the two largest organizations involved in this sector: Fabrizio Ricciardelli, director of the Kent State University Florence Center and co-secretary treasurer of AACUPI; and Matteo Duni, president of ASAUI and professor of history at Syracuse University and NYU in Florence.

Lisa Kaborycha: Fabrizio, can you tell us a little about AACUPI, its mission, history and accomplishments?
Fabrizio Ricciardelli: AACUPI is the acronym for Association of American College and University Programs in Italy. Founded in Rome in 1978 as a non-profit legal entity, over the past 40 years, AACUPI has worked with the Italian government to simplify procedures and bureaucratic norms as they apply to colleges and universities from North America in Italy. This has led to the Italian Parliament’s passage of two specific laws that clarify the legal and fiscal positions of AACUPI programs, and guarantee reciprocal understanding regarding immigration procedures, including visa applications and stay permits, for both students and “visiting” North American faculty.