The Mission of the University for Foreigners of Perugia is stated in article 1, paragraph 1 of the University Statute, which establishes that:
it promotes and organizes educational and scientific research activities aimed at the knowledge and dissemination of the Italian language, culture, and civilization, at intercultural dialogue, communication, and international cooperation, in connection with the local area and its representative institutions, as well as with national and international institutions pursuing similar objectives
The reasons behind the founding of the University for Foreigners of Perugia in 1925, and the subsequent evolution of its structure in the 1990s with the equalization to state universities (Law 204 of 1992), represent fundamental milestones in defining its role and positioning within the Italian university system.
The University was established with the mission to promote Italian culture. In 1921, the first two Summer Courses of Advanced Culture for Italians and foreigners were launched, focusing on Franciscan studies and Etruscology, fields strongly linked to the territory and its history. Only later were Italian language courses introduced. From this, the dual function of the University emerges: on the one hand, the international dimension, dedicated to promoting the Italian cultural heritage in all its forms; on the other, the local dimension, characterized by deep roots in the territory, which the University for Foreigners of Perugia has helped to promote and internationalize.
The university courses and postgraduate courses, in their current form and internal structure, still reflect the original goal of promoting, spreading, and teaching the Italian language, culture, and society in all its expressions, while broadening the original core to related sectors such as communication, international relations and development cooperation, translation and interpreting, food, and hospitality. This educational offer must be analyzed as a whole, by assessing its sustainability, relevance, and attractiveness, as well as its alignment with the role and competencies within our University, making bold, consistent, and effective choices where necessary.