ROME--The University of Bologna, the Polytechnic University of Milan, the Bocconi and La Sapienza University in Rome have been recognised for their excellence in the 7^th edition of the QS World University Rankings. 

 The QS World University Rankings are an annual report that analyses the performance of hundreds of universities across the world, taking into consideration individual disciplines as well as an overall picture.

 Design, engineering, architecture and economics are all areas in which Italian universities have excelled. The Polytechnic University of Milan was ranked 7^th in the world for its art and design courses; while the University of Bologna stood out for its anatomy, law and archaeology degrees, all placed within the top 50 worldwide, according to QS.

 Where Italian universities are failing, however, is in the lack of investment and importance granted to research, meaning that some of Italy’s brightest young academics are being forced to immigrate to excel in their field. Looking forward, Italian universities will have to rectify this fault to maintain their competitiveness on the world stage.

 Foreign lecturers also have been discouraged from working on the peninsula due to the ongoing discrimination against them under the Gelmini law that persists despite repeated promises by successive Italian governments to resolve it.

 The Polytechnic University of Milan, The University of Bologna, and Sapienza were ranked 183^rd, 208^th and 223^rd respectively in the most recent review of top international universities. 

  jp-tm