Universita Per Stranieri Di Perugia
It is one of the three universities historically for foreign students in Italy, together with the Università per Stranieri di Siena, and Università per stranieri "Dante Alighieri" di Reggio Calabria.
History
The university was established by royal decree in 1925.
Controversy
In 2021, university officials were charged with helping footballer Luis Suárez to cheat on an Italian-language test.
In September 2020, Luis Suarez took a language exam at the University for Foreigners of Perugia to obtain Italian citizenship, which was linked to a potential transfer to Juventus. The exam raised suspicions of being fraudulent, leading to widespread media coverage and allegations that Juventus pressured the university to create a tailored exam session for Suarez.
An investigation ensued, and prosecutors initially accused Maria Turco, Juventus's lawyer, of being complicit in the alleged scheme. However, after nearly two years, the Perugia court cleared Turco of all charges, determining that Juventus did not interfere in the exam process.
Instead, the court found that university officials, including the former rector and other staff members, had falsified exam procedures to create a favorable environment for Suarez. This allowed the university to gain prestige from having a notable athlete as a student. As a result, the charges against Turco were dismissed, and the investigation ultimately confirmed that Juventus had no involvement in the fraudulent exam scheme. Despite the initial media frenzy, the acquittal received minimal attention in the press.
Alumni
- Helmut Berger
- Shirlee Emmons
- Charles Ginnever
- Marva Griffin
- Leka, Crown Prince of Albania
- Peter Maurer
- Bront Palarae
- Arthur Penn
- Denys Pringle
- Norma Redpath
- L. D. Reynolds
- Iain Duncan Smith (though he did not obtain any qualifications or finish his exams)
- Ron Terpening
- Adrian Turner
- Max Wickert
References
- ^ Maria Cristina Messa (23 April 2021). Decreto Ministeriale del 23 aprile 2021 n. 560 (in Italian). Rome: Ministero dell'Istruzione dell'Università e della Ricerca. Accessed May 2021.
- ^ Università per stranieri di Perugia: Personale (in Italian). Rome: Ministero dell'Istruzione dell'Università e della Ricerca. Accessed May 2021.
- ^ Università per stranieri di Perugia: Riepilogo (in Italian). Rome: Ministero dell'Istruzione dell'Università e della Ricerca. Accessed May 2021.
- ^ Università per stranieri di Perugia: Studenti (in Italian). Rome: Ministero dell'Istruzione dell'Università e della Ricerca. Accessed May 2021.
- ^ Letizia Moratti (19 October 2001). Decreto 19 luglio 2001, n.375: Regolamento ai sensi dell' articolo 17, comma 96, lettera d), della legge 15 maggio 1997, n. 127, relativo al riordino delle università per stranieri (in Italian). Gazzetta Ufficiale 244 (19 October 2001).
- ^ https://www.ilreggino.it/politica/2023/03/23/reggio-i-comunisti-salviamo-luniversita-per-stranieri-dante-alighieri/?amp
- ^ "Prosecutors seek trial after Luis Suarez language test". RTÉ News. AFP. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ https://www.ilfoglio.it/giustizia/2022/07/12/news/ricordate-l-esame-farsa-di-suarez-la-juventus-non-c-entrava-niente-4209266/amp/
- ^ [Press Office] (19 December 2002). Newsnight reveals inaccuracies in Iain Duncan Smith's CV. BBC. Accessed May 2021.