Il ruolo delle Università nella cooperazione allo sviluppo italiana e il loro contributo sul tema della valutazione

This article discusses the role of Universities in past and present Italian cooperation activities for the development of poor countries, tracing the origins of Italian university cooperation and the evolution of its approaches until present. In particular, the article highlights the current role that universities play in supporting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the evaluation of development programs and projects in partner countries, as part of Universities’ public engagement. This occurs through the creation of dedicated consulting bodies that gather institutional actors, civil society organizations, and university professors with thematic expertise in the field of development, including evaluation. The article concludes by advancing future research questions to explore the effects that the collaboration between universities and the Italian cooperation the system is producing, and the way universities can boost knowledge transfer for innovation and sustainable development.