For three years, the Ermenegildo Zegna Founder's Scholarship has supported LUISS students and graduates performing research or participating in post-graduate specialization programs abroad.
Among 2016 recipients are LUISS graduates Gabriele Carovano and Luca Sportelli, studying respective at King’s College in London and at Harvard for a Master of Laws.
“Being admitted to Harvard is a dream come true,” confesses Luca Sportelli. “After four stimulating and formative years in the M&A and capital markets sectors with the Italian headquarters of Cleary Gottlieb, I decided it was time to get to know more about another part of the world and open my mind to legal cultures different from ours. The LL.M. at Harvard Law School is an extraordinary program, both for its academics and for the life experience it offers.” Every year it welcomes 180 students from 70 different countries, each with its own culture, history and traditions. From the day you step foot on campus you are surrounded by their ideas, passions and values, helping you to open your mind to different ways of seeing the world, challenge your assumptions and approach life with a more flexible outlook and less certainties. The academic experience is also exceptional: we use a teaching method that is very open to debate, relying heavily on economic and empirical analysis while studying law, all of which is original and interesting for someone with a civil law background.”
Gabriele Carovano also accumulated work experience before beginning the LL.M. in Competition Law at King’s College. I worked at Bonelli Erede, won a year-long apprenticeship at the Italian Competition Authority and spent an exciting period at the European Commission. For all of these opportunities I must thank LUISS for providing me with a cultural background and preparation for selection processes. Throughout my years, I had the honor of studying under excellent professors. In particular, I have to thank Professor Marcello Clarich, my thesis advisor, for his constant support during my entire career. Among the numerous initiatives offered by the university, I remember a talk with President Giovanni Pitruzella on the primary role of the Italian Competition Authority. It was that day that I discovered my passion for competition law.
For the winners, LUISS represents an important development period of both their passions and professionality. “In 2007 I was just a young guy with lots of ideas and enthusiasm for the world of law,” says Luca. “I decided to study Law at LUISS, where I spent five amazing years and met amazing people that introduced me to the world of law with both dedication and attention. It was there that I discovered my passion for corporate law. Immediately after graduation I was determined to cultivate my passion and put to work all that I had learned.”
One of the criteria for Ermenegildo Zegna scholarships regards a candidate’s intention to return to Italy after their period abroad. This ambition is not lacking in Gabriele who explains, “In London I am learning so much on both the personal and professional level. At King’s, in addition to working with students from all over the world, I have come in contact with global leaders in my sector. In particular, Professor Andrea Biondi, director of the Centre of European Law, who advised me on how to best profit from this experience. In a delicate geopolitical moment such as this one, challenges are not lacking. My dream is to contribute in my own little way, using the skills that I have and will obtain over the next few years to make Italy more European, and Europe more Italian.”
“I have a lot of ideas for the future,” concludes Luca Sportelli. “I would like to return to Italy, but at the same time, I want to keep in contact with the rest of the world. I will surely continue to be an active corporate lawyer on the international scene, but I would also like to participate in academic debate to share what I have learned over the past year in the United States. I truly owe so much to Ermenegildo Zegna and to LUISS, their scholarships have contributed so much to me and helped me participate in this amazing life experience.”