In October 2015 a delegation of Rectors and Professors from the VIU Member Universities headed by VIU President Ambassador Umberto Vattani was received at the Presidential Palace in Rome.
The President of the Italian Republic, the Hon. Sergio Mattarella, expressed in his speech his praise and admiration for such an innovative and successful example of a multicultural and interdisciplinary academic venture.
The speech can be found on Youtube at this link.