The Aspen University Fellows program was established in 2018 and targets students who have reached an advanced stage in their university careers. It sets out to:
• create a forum for dialogue to promote an interdisciplinary debate that is innovative both in method and in content;
• develop a network, including across intergenerational lines, capable of enhancing the interaction between Aspen University Fellows and Aspen Institute Italia Board Members;
• flesh out the debate on value-based leadership by honing students’ ability to interpret the complexities and challenges of the contemporary world.
The Aspen University Fellows President is Lucio Stanca. The program currently includes some 90 young people studying in Italy and abroad as well as a few youth who have recently completed their studies and entered the job market.
Admission to the Aspen University Fellows program is a confidential process. Aspen Institute Italia Board Members or the Italian University Chancellors Conference can nominate candidates, who are then vetted by the Institute.
Candidates must be under twenty-three years of age, have gained their three-year bachelor’s degree (if taking a single-cycle master’s degree course, they must have completed their third year), have achieved outstanding results over the course of their university career, and have an excellent knowledge of English. Other qualifications and experiences will be taken into consideration during the vetting process.
Membership in the group ceases when a member reaches the age of 26.
Aspen University Fellows enjoy access to a specific roundtable program and may attend a certain number of the Institute’s events by invitation and as observers only.
The list of current Aspen University Fellows and further information about the program may be found in the restricted-access area of the website.