Honorary Master’s Degree awarded to Sr. Alessandra Smerilli
Awarded the title of Master in International Public Affairs by Luiss School of Government
An honorary Master’s degree has been awarded to Sr. Alessandra Smerilli FMA, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD). During the celebrations marking the 15th anniversary of the Luiss School of Government, on 25 June 2026, Sr. Smerilli was awarded the title of Master in International Public Affairs. The event opened with the screening of a commemorative video and an address by the Institute’s Rector, Dr. Paolo Boccardelli, followed by remarks from various academic dignitaries.
The laudatory citation given by Prof. Sergio Fabbrini, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and International Relations and former Dean of the Luiss School of Government, opened the first session by introducing Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, who delivered a keynote lecture on the theme ‘Creating the Possible.’
Sharing her personal experience of a mission in India, Sr Alessandra reflected on the possibility of ‘creating what is possible’ even where circumstances make it difficult. “Possibility always grows from an inner tension that no material condition can completely erase,” said Sr. Alessandra.
This is true also in political and economic spheres: “To govern means to direct a society toward a desirable future: to identify spaces for human development that does not yet exist, to create the conditions for that development to emerge, and to remove the obstacles to development that impede growth and innovation.”
Sr. Smerilli pointed out that everyone must be involved in this creative process, including those living on the margins of society. She emphasised that what is possible must not be created solely by those with decision-making power but, as Pope Francis often affirmed, it is everyone’s duty “the marginalized should not be simply the recipients of public policies, but protagonists in building the future.”
Sr. Smerilli concluded by highlighting a personal aspect that expresses a “possibility” that had to be created: “Even today some find it difficult to connect the terms ‘Sister’ and ‘economist.’ Yet life is full of encounters between worlds that seem irreconcilable. Each one of us carries within ourselves possibilities that no single category could fully capture.”
The second keynote lecture on the programme for the evening was delivered by Prof. Giuliano Da Empoli, preceded by a laudatory citation by Prof. Giovanni Orsina.
The ceremony concluded with words of gratitude to all those who attended, including the Undersecretary of the DPIHD, Monsignor Jozef Barlaš, the Head of Office, Father Avelino Chico, and a number of Dicastery Officials.
Rome, Italy 25 June 2026 Sister Alessandra Smerilli received an honorary distinction at Luiss University during the conference "15 Years of the Luiss School of Government: Creating the Possible," held on 25 June 2026 at the Mario Arcelli Auditorium on the Luiss campus in Rome. The event celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the Luiss School of Government, bringing together members of its academic community, institutional leaders, policymakers, alumni, and distinguished guests to reflect on the School's contribution to public policy, leadership, and institutional innovation over the past fifteen years. During the ceremony, Sister Alessandra Smerilli was presented with an honorary recognition in acknowledgment of her outstanding commitment to promoting an economy centered on human dignity, social justice, sustainability, and the common good.
Rome, Italy 25 June 2026 Sister Alessandra Smerilli received an honorary distinction at Luiss University during the conference "15 Years of the Luiss School of Government: Creating the Possible," held on 25 June 2026 at the Mario Arcelli Auditorium on the Luiss campus in Rome. The event celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the Luiss School of Government, bringing together members of its academic community, institutional leaders, policymakers, alumni, and distinguished guests to reflect on the School's contribution to public policy, leadership, and institutional innovation over the past fifteen years. During the ceremony, Sister Alessandra Smerilli was presented with an honorary recognition in acknowledgment of her outstanding commitment to promoting an economy centered on human dignity, social justice, sustainability, and the common good.
Rome, Italy 25 June 2026 Sister Alessandra Smerilli received an honorary distinction at Luiss University during the conference "15 Years of the Luiss School of Government: Creating the Possible," held on 25 June 2026 at the Mario Arcelli Auditorium on the Luiss campus in Rome. The event celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the Luiss School of Government, bringing together members of its academic community, institutional leaders, policymakers, alumni, and distinguished guests to reflect on the School's contribution to public policy, leadership, and institutional innovation over the past fifteen years. During the ceremony, Sister Alessandra Smerilli was presented with an honorary recognition in acknowledgment of her outstanding commitment to promoting an economy centered on human dignity, social justice, sustainability, and the common good.
Rome, Italy 25 June 2026 Sister Alessandra Smerilli received an honorary distinction at Luiss University during the conference "15 Years of the Luiss School of Government: Creating the Possible," held on 25 June 2026 at the Mario Arcelli Auditorium on the Luiss campus in Rome. The event celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the Luiss School of Government, bringing together members of its academic community, institutional leaders, policymakers, alumni, and distinguished guests to reflect on the School's contribution to public policy, leadership, and institutional innovation over the past fifteen years. During the ceremony, Sister Alessandra Smerilli was presented with an honorary recognition in acknowledgment of her outstanding commitment to promoting an economy centered on human dignity, social justice, sustainability, and the common good.
Rome, Italy 25 June 2026 Sister Alessandra Smerilli received an honorary distinction at Luiss University during the conference "15 Years of the Luiss School of Government: Creating the Possible," held on 25 June 2026 at the Mario Arcelli Auditorium on the Luiss campus in Rome. The event celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the Luiss School of Government, bringing together members of its academic community, institutional leaders, policymakers, alumni, and distinguished guests to reflect on the School's contribution to public policy, leadership, and institutional innovation over the past fifteen years. During the ceremony, Sister Alessandra Smerilli was presented with an honorary recognition in acknowledgment of her outstanding commitment to promoting an economy centered on human dignity, social justice, sustainability, and the common good.
Rome, Italy 25 June 2026 Sister Alessandra Smerilli received an honorary distinction at Luiss University during the conference "15 Years of the Luiss School of Government: Creating the Possible," held on 25 June 2026 at the Mario Arcelli Auditorium on the Luiss campus in Rome. The event celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the Luiss School of Government, bringing together members of its academic community, institutional leaders, policymakers, alumni, and distinguished guests to reflect on the School's contribution to public policy, leadership, and institutional innovation over the past fifteen years. During the ceremony, Sister Alessandra Smerilli was presented with an honorary recognition in acknowledgment of her outstanding commitment to promoting an economy centered on human dignity, social justice, sustainability, and the common good.
Rome, Italy 25 June 2026 Sister Alessandra Smerilli received an honorary distinction at Luiss University during the conference "15 Years of the Luiss School of Government: Creating the Possible," held on 25 June 2026 at the Mario Arcelli Auditorium on the Luiss campus in Rome. The event celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the Luiss School of Government, bringing together members of its academic community, institutional leaders, policymakers, alumni, and distinguished guests to reflect on the School's contribution to public policy, leadership, and institutional innovation over the past fifteen years. During the ceremony, Sister Alessandra Smerilli was presented with an honorary recognition in acknowledgment of her outstanding commitment to promoting an economy centered on human dignity, social justice, sustainability, and the common good.
Rome, Italy 25 June 2026 Sister Alessandra Smerilli received an honorary distinction at Luiss University during the conference "15 Years of the Luiss School of Government: Creating the Possible," held on 25 June 2026 at the Mario Arcelli Auditorium on the Luiss campus in Rome. The event celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the Luiss School of Government, bringing together members of its academic community, institutional leaders, policymakers, alumni, and distinguished guests to reflect on the School's contribution to public policy, leadership, and institutional innovation over the past fifteen years. During the ceremony, Sister Alessandra Smerilli was presented with an honorary recognition in acknowledgment of her outstanding commitment to promoting an economy centered on human dignity, social justice, sustainability, and the common good.
Rome, Italy 25 June 2026 Sister Alessandra Smerilli received an honorary distinction at Luiss University during the conference "15 Years of the Luiss School of Government: Creating the Possible," held on 25 June 2026 at the Mario Arcelli Auditorium on the Luiss campus in Rome. The event celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the Luiss School of Government, bringing together members of its academic community, institutional leaders, policymakers, alumni, and distinguished guests to reflect on the School's contribution to public policy, leadership, and institutional innovation over the past fifteen years. During the ceremony, Sister Alessandra Smerilli was presented with an honorary recognition in acknowledgment of her outstanding commitment to promoting an economy centered on human dignity, social justice, sustainability, and the common good.
Rome, Italy 25 June 2026 Sister Alessandra Smerilli received an honorary distinction at Luiss University during the conference "15 Years of the Luiss School of Government: Creating the Possible," held on 25 June 2026 at the Mario Arcelli Auditorium on the Luiss campus in Rome. The event celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the Luiss School of Government, bringing together members of its academic community, institutional leaders, policymakers, alumni, and distinguished guests to reflect on the School's contribution to public policy, leadership, and institutional innovation over the past fifteen years. During the ceremony, Sister Alessandra Smerilli was presented with an honorary recognition in acknowledgment of her outstanding commitment to promoting an economy centered on human dignity, social justice, sustainability, and the common good.
Rome, Italy 25 June 2026 Sister Alessandra Smerilli received an honorary distinction at Luiss University during the conference "15 Years of the Luiss School of Government: Creating the Possible," held on 25 June 2026 at the Mario Arcelli Auditorium on the Luiss campus in Rome. The event celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the Luiss School of Government, bringing together members of its academic community, institutional leaders, policymakers, alumni, and distinguished guests to reflect on the School's contribution to public policy, leadership, and institutional innovation over the past fifteen years. During the ceremony, Sister Alessandra Smerilli was presented with an honorary recognition in acknowledgment of her outstanding commitment to promoting an economy centered on human dignity, social justice, sustainability, and the common good.
