A bridge between cultures to promote talent in South Africa

Lucio Labia, son of the first Italian ambassador to South Africa, was a forward-thinking economist who firmly believed in the role of education as a driver for growth and social mobility. That is why he established the Fondazione Labia in Cape Town, with the goal of providing support and real training opportunities to young South African talent without means.

When he passed away in 2016, his children Antonia and Natale Labia (MBA 45, 2020) took up his legacy and, as the new Directors of the Foundation, chose to give continuity to their father's philanthropic project, honoring his memory and the desire to strengthen the cultural link between Italy and South Africa.

A partnership between Bocconi University and Fondazione Labia was established on this basis. Through a comprehensive university orientation project aimed at young South African talents, it has begun to promote cultural progress in South Africa and inclusion and social mobility within the University at the same time, starting from the 2021-2022 academic year. 

Thanks to the support of the Fondazione Labia, in fact, each year a group of South African students from disadvantaged backgrounds will have the opportunity to participate in the admissions process and in the Bocconi Summer School, thus beginning a new adventure that will transform their lives and open new opportunities for growth and education.