The Spirit of Fashion in Italy: Exchange Program at Luiss Business School

Ekaterina Berezenko, a student of the Master's program "Marketing: Digital Technologies and Marketing Communications", shares her experience of studying at Luiss Business School in Italy during the Spring 2022 semester.

For my spring semester, I went on exchange to Luiss Business School, whose campus is located in Rome, Italy (with additional branches in Milan and Amsterdam). I have only the most wonderful memories from my time there — it was truly an incredible experience that I’ll remember for a lifetime. I chose Luiss Business School because it offered a program that matched my interests: fashion management. We learned a lot about the Italian and French fashion industries, gained a solid understanding of the market, and got to know the key players. In Italy, this industry is highly developed, and many professors are active professionals working at major brands, so they have a lot to share with students.

The Move
The exchange preparation process consisted of several steps. First, I received an email confirming my acceptance. Then came correspondence with the Italian institution, where I had to choose three programs from different campuses. Eventually, I was assigned to one — and that’s where I studied. After that, I began collecting documents for the visa. Everything is clearly outlined on the official website: https://italy-vms.ru/documentformsk/priglashenie-po-programme-obmena/

Visa processing takes about two weeks. With a visa and university invitation letter, you’re ready to go. At the visa center, make sure to request a codice fiscale (tax code), which you’ll need to activate once in Italy.

After arriving in Italy, I bought a local SIM card — you can also open a bank account. Within 10 days of arrival, you must go to the post office, pick up a residency kit, buy a tax stamp (marca da bollo) at a tobacconist, and fill out your residency permit documents. You’ll return to the post office to submit these documents and pay a fee (around €100). You’ll then receive a receipt (ricevuta) confirming your application is in process. I submitted my paperwork in January, and my fingerprinting appointment wasn’t scheduled until May. After giving your fingerprints, it takes another 40–45 days to receive the final permit.

First Impressions of the Business School
When I first arrived at the university, I was blown away by how beautiful it was. A huge campus with fountains where students gather, palm trees, parrots — it was stunning. During breaks, everyone heads to the café for coffee — Italy’s coffee culture is a national treasure. The campus is filled with greenery, and everything is carefully maintained. The main building is a historic villa with a modern renovation, surrounded by additional buildings where classes are held.

Studying and Living in Italy
As for life in Italy, I’d recommend going with at least B1-level Italian, because in Rome, English isn’t widely spoken. If you live outside the tourist areas, it can be difficult to communicate. I searched for an apartment on Spotahome, as the university offers very limited housing. Public transportation in Rome is unreliable: frequent strikes, service disruptions, and canceled routes are common — so it’s best to live close to campus.

That said, it’s easy to travel from Rome to other major Italian cities like Milan, Venice, Florence, Verona, Naples, Padua, and more — the country is well connected.

The academic format mainly consists of interactive lectures. In most courses, your final grade is based 100% on the exam (usually a test), although sometimes there’s a project component. Each month we had 2–3 new courses, with exams at the end of the month.

Impressions
Luiss Business School is one of Italy’s top business schools in the field of management. I absolutely loved my exchange program! It was a priceless opportunity to spend six months in another country, get to know a new culture and language. Some of my favorite memories include tours of BVLGARI and Valentino boutiques organized by our fashion history professor, attending Milan Fashion Week, and celebrating Carnival in Venice.

Of course, it wasn’t always easy: I dealt with blocked credit cards and had to rely solely on cash at times; my initial vaccination wasn’t accepted in Italy, which meant two trips to Vienna just to get the Pfizer shot — without it, I couldn’t even enter campus. The hardest part was the lack of institutional support, so it’s important to rely on yourself and be prepared for bureaucratic and financial challenges.

Still, studying abroad gave me invaluable knowledge, new friends from Italy, France, and other countries, and taught me how to overcome challenges independently in a foreign country. It gave me confidence, independence, and memories I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

I’m deeply grateful to HSE and Luiss Business School for this incredible opportunity!