PRESS RELEASE - Skills, Research and Local Impact: A New Strategic Partnership Is Born in Turin

Turin, 13 April 2026 – Bringing together research, skills and local ecosystems to create new opportunities for students, institutions and the city of Turin. This is the central idea behind an agreement signed today by the University of Turin (UniTo) and the European Training Foundation (ETF), a European Union agency based in the Piedmontese capital.

The collaboration has been formalised through a Declaration of Intent, which aims to enhance the interaction between academia and an international agency operating in nearly 30 countries to improve education, training and labour markets. The goal is both simple and ambitious: to make Turin a European laboratory for skills.

The agreement was signed by the Rector of the University of Turin, Cristina Prandi, the Director of the ETF, Pilvi Torsti, and Carlotta Salerno, Councillor for Education and Youth Policies of the City of Turin. 

Cristina Prandi, Rector of the University of Turin, said: “This agreement represents a concrete step in the path that the University of Turin has undertaken in scientific diplomacy, a strategic priority for us. In a context of profound transformation, investing in human capital means strengthening the quality of democracy, social cohesion and the competitiveness of territories. Training people capable of combining skills and dialogue between institutions helps improve the quality of public decision-making. Within this framework, the partnership with the European Training Foundation — a European actor deeply rooted in our territory — opens up new opportunities for education, research and international cooperation.”

Pilvi Torsti, Director of the European Training Foundation, stated: “Collaboration with the University of Turin allows us to further strengthen the Turin area as a European laboratory for skills. Developing partnerships to identify, expand and enhance the skills of young people and adults means making education a great equaliser: a decisive lever for building fairer, more competitive societies, in line with the EU's Union of Skills initiative.”

Partnership in practice: what happens next?

The collaboration between UniTo and the ETF involves an ongoing, evolving programme of activities designed to flexibly respond to needs and opportunities, with direct benefits for Turin and its local skills ecosystem.

• Scientific and technical contributions: This entails peer review of ETF publications and analyses by UniTo researchers and faculty, including a new publication on the impact of artificial intelligence on the world of work, to be presented at the Turin Biennale Tecnologia. This aspect of the agreement also provides for contributions by ETF experts and UniTo academics to conferences, training programmes, projects and events promoted by each of the two partners. In addition, it paves the way for the development of a training pathway on science and skills diplomacy.
   
• Local pilot projects: This includes the organisation of study visits and exchanges of good practice for trainers, public officials and young people from the countries in which the ETF operates, showcasing local excellence.
   
• Events open to the city: The Turin Skills Summit and workshops on employment, migration, educational innovation and transversal skills are also planned.
   
• Internships and mentoring for students: Ten curricular internships per year for University of Turin students will be allocated by the ETF, along with international mentoring opportunities that enable students to engage with European standards and practices.

Impact on the local area

The partnership will enable Turin to promote the exchange of good practices and knowledge, offer more international opportunities to students, and strengthen its role as a “city‑laboratory” for educational innovation and a bridge between local excellence and the third countries that the ETF works with.

The first activities will be launched by the end of 2026, with further expansion over the following three‑year period.

The institutions involved

• The European Training Foundation (ETF) is the European Union agency supporting neighbouring countries in reforming education, training and labour market systems. It operates in nearly 30 countries, from Ukraine to the Western Balkans, from the southern Mediterranean to Central Asia and the African Union. Its Governing Board, chaired by Mario Nava, Director‑General of the European Commission’s Directorate‑General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, brings together representatives of the 27 EU Member States. The ETF has been headquartered in Turin, at the Villa Gualino, since 1994.
   
• The University of Turin, founded in 1404, is one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious universities. With approximately 81,000 students and more than 4,000 academic and technical and administrative staff, it is organised into 27 departments and over 100 sites across the region, offering a wide range of programmes across all major disciplinary areas. An internationally recognised institution, UniTo has more than 430 agreements with universities worldwide, over 3,000 international students from 131 countries, and since 2020, the university has coordinated the European alliance UNITA – Universitas Montium. Its strong commitment to research and innovation is demonstrated by a vast array of funded projects and achievements, including 37 ERC Grants awarded to its researchers.

Media relations 

• European Training Foundation (ETF): Daria Santucci, +39 366 9639638, mediarelations@etf.europa.eu
  
  
• University of Turin: 
  Head of digital communication and media relations: Elena Bravetta 
  Digital communication and media relations contact: Sara Capellaro, +39 349 6500047, ufficio.stampa@unito.it