On May 26 and 27, Antonella Polimeni, Rector of Sapienza University of Rome (SUR), with her delegation, visited Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (ZUEL). During the visit, the delegation took part in multiple events, including the President’s Symposium, the Honorary Doctoral Conferment Ceremony for Rector Polimeni, as well as celebrations marking the third anniversary of the ZUEL-SUR School of Law and Economics (LES), the Launching Ceremony of theChinese-Italian Classics of Law Translation Series, and the LES Joint Management Committee Meeting. The visit boosted collaboration between the two universities.
Professor Hou Zhenfa, Secretary of the ZUEL Party Committee, officially presented the “Notice of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council on Approving the Conferment of an Honorary Doctorate to Rector Antonella Polimeni.”
Professor Zhu Fangwei, ZUEL President, Deputy Secretary of the CPC ZUEL Committee, and Chair of the Academic Degrees Committee, presented Polimeni with the honorary doctorate certificate.
Yang Canming, Wenlan Senior Professor, delivered the recommendation speech.
On the morning of the 26th, the Honorary Doctoral Conferment Ceremony took place in the Simultaneous Interpretation Conference Room of Wenhuan Building. Professor Hou Zhenfa, Secretary of the ZUEL Party Committee, officially presented “the Notice of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council on Approving the Conferment of an Honorary Doctorate to Rector Antonella Polimeni.” Professor Zhu Fangwei, ZUEL President, Deputy Secretary of the CPC ZUEL Committee, and Chair of the Academic Degrees Committee, presented Polimeni with the honorary doctorate certificate. Yang Canming, Wenlan Senior Professor, delivered the recommendation speech. Qin Hong, the Vice President of the university and a member of the CPC ZUEL Committee, presided over the ceremony. Professor Giuseppe Ciccarone, Vice Rector of SUR; Professor Oliviero Diliberto, dean of the Law Faculty of SUR; Liu Renshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC ZUEL Committee and Vice President of ZUEL; and Huang Juan, a member and Director of the Organization Department of the CPC ZUEL Committee, attended the ceremony. The heads and members of relevant functional departments also attended the ceremony.
As stated in the recommendation speech, Antonella Polimeni is a leading international scholar in the fields of medicine and higher education. She has held several prominent positions at SUR, including Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Coordinator of the PhD program in Skeletal and Oro-Cranio-Facial Diseases, and member of the University Board of Directors. She has long led interdisciplinary advanced professional programs across law, engineering, medicine, and psychology. In addition to her academic roles, she is the head of Italian medical and dental academic institutions, Coordinator of the Medicine Committee of the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI), and an expert for the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR). Her career has been dedicated to higher education reform and research innovation. During her tenure as Rector of SUR, she actively promoted deep collaboration with ZUEL, making outstanding contributions to Sino-Italian cultural exchange, as well as to cooperation in education and science and technology.
“I feel truly honored by this award. This award belongs to the dedicated teams from both universities and stands as a testament to the fruitful dialogue between Chinese and Italian civilizations,” said Professor Polimeni.
She noted that the partnership between the two institutions has a long and rich history, enjoying strong support and recognition from the state leaders and educational authorities of both China and Italy.
The jointly established School of Law and Economics has now entered its third year. It currently offers four master's programs and one undergraduate program, and has educated over 300 graduates. Within the next five years, the number of enrolled students is expected to approach 1,000.
Qin Hong, Member of the University Party Committee Standing Committee and Vice President, presided over the ceremony.
Qin Hong emphasized that the cooperation between the two universities is steadily reaching new heights. He praised Professor Polimeni for promoting the strategic partnership with vision, wisdom and commitment to education, regarding her as a “cultural ambassador” of Sino-Italian exchange. The conferment of the honorary doctorate to her is the highest tribute to a “family member” and “colleague” of the Chinese people.
Two sides held a symposium before the ceremony.
President Zhu, on behalf of ZUEL, extended a warm welcome to Polimeni and her delegation. He pointed out thatZUEL and SUR share a highly consistenteducational philosophy in interdisciplinary scientific research and talent cultivation.Since 2016, the cooperation between SUR and ZUEL has expanded gradually from law to areas such as digital economy and artificial intelligence, becoming a benchmark for Sino-Italian university exchange and cooperation. “This visit would promote practical cooperation, elevating our friendly relations to a new height.” President Zhu added that SUR and ZUELwill explore new cooperation models in fields such as interdisciplinary integration, international exchanges and faculty development based on School of Law and Economics.
Professor Polimeni stated that she was extremely honored to revisit ZUEL to attend the series of events marking the third anniversary of the establishment of School of Law and Economics. She noted that the interdisciplinary cooperation stands for the future of disciplinary development and interdisciplinary integration. The cooperation agreement on artificial intelligence signed in 2024 has brought new possibilities for cooperation between SUR and ZUEL. “The development of AI requires the support from disciplines such as ethics, and the integration of multiple disciplines is the future trend,” she said. She also expects the cooperation in cutting-edge fields such as AI, science, and biomedicine except for traditional disciplines such as law and economics.
Liu Renshan stated that the establishment of the School of Law and Economics injected new momentum into bilateral collaboration, driving their faster development. In the future, ZUEL and SUR will seize the important opportunity of Sino-Italian friendly exchanges to enhance the cooperation continuously.
Giuseppe Sicarone, the Vice Rector of SUR, extended his heartfelt thanks to ZUEL for its gracious hospitality. He praised the picturesque campus environment of ZUEL and expressed his anticipation for even more fruitful outcomes in jointly nurturing young talents. Meanwhile, Professor Diliberto, Dean of the Law School of SUR, remarked, “Every time I return to ZUEL, I feel truly at home.” He stressed that the cooperation between our two universities, as a model for Sino-Italian educational exchanges, has garnered significant recognition and strong support from the two governments.
During the symposium, the presidents of the two universities exchanged commemorative gifts.
Heads from both sides attended the Ceremony of the 3rd Anniversary of ZUEL-SUR School of Law and Economics, as well as the Launching Ceremony of the Chinese-Italian Classics of Law Translation Series
Heads from both sides attended the first meeting of the 2025 Joint Management Committee for the Second Session of ZUEL-SUR School of Law and Economics
Heads from both sides attended the symposium on promoting cooperation in economics
On the same day, heads from both sides also attended the Ceremony of the 3rd Anniversary of ZUEL-SUR School of Law and Economics, the Launching Ceremony of the Chinese-Italian Classics of Law Translation Series, as well as the symposium on promoting bilateral cooperation in economics. In the afternoon of the 27th, heads from both sides participated in the first meeting of the 2025 Joint Management Committee for the Second Session of ZUEL-SUR School of Law and Economics.
Reporter: Zhuo Zhangpeng
Photographer: Du Peng